Member Reputation and Titles

Thanks Vanessa 

@vanessa I hadn't noticed it before, and I will say that in the time I've been here I've learned that everyone I've talked to or read I've trusted.  This site seems to attract very thoughtful and intelligent people.

@ellilynn Thank you for your kind words dear, we are truly blessed with a phenomenal community of folks here ❤️

Thanks Vanessa. I think it's useful. It's a wonderful community. My life is much better since I've joined both Heavens. I'm really grateful. 

@vanessa It was impressed on me a couple days ago, that I have been blessed with an incredible number of people that care about me in the digital world, even in general forums on Facebook where the people that don't have access to the trans forums  are not aware that the name they know me by is a zombie name, not quite dead yet, because I've chosen to not make it official there until I can do so in court.  I logged into FB a couple days ago to find a private message to me from a sweet lady, Patti Schimpf, that she and her husband David were very concerned because they hadn't seen me online in almost two weeks, and wanting to know if I was okay and did I need any help.  I had been online there, but because I'd been concentrating on trying to help a friend from one of the trans forums there through a crisis, I hadn't posted in a general forum.  This concern, from a couple I've never met, brought me to tears, and I wish I could share this with everyone that complains that social media is ruining our ability to make meaningful connections with others.  While my local support system is so small I can count them on one hand and have a couple digits left untouched, I was reminded that I have people all over the world that care, and it means more to me than I will ever be able to fully express.  All I can do is be thankful, and do my best to support everyone I can, whether local or on the other side of the world.

@ellilynn Wonderful to hear your online community has stepped up so powerfully for you dear!

@vanessa It's more than wonderful.  It showed me more than anything else probably could just how much my words have touched other people and as someone who has sent most of their life doubting their own effectiveness (and usefulness) it's a very important addition to my self knowledge and worth, and that there really are others out there that honestly care about people they'll probably never meet in person.  So many self affirming lessons learned because of that one short message.

@vanessa Here I am 9 months later and still feel blessed to have found this wonderful site.  I hope to be on more frequently once my life settles down a bit if I can stop volunteering for every cause that asks for my help.  Time for me to concentrate on helping me I think after 40 years volunteering for every cause that asks for my time.

@ellilynn That's wonderful to hear dear!

I'm glad you've found an online home  

@fireflyvanessa I have definitely found a loving home here, and as soon as I can get relocated to Colorado I will be visiting more often.  Been living in my car for the last two months which makes it hard to get online.  I have managed to get most of my stuff in storage and am in the process of sorting what I need to bring with me, and then I need to get in touch with some of the groups that are offering help with relocating to safer states.  I paid for the storage unit for 6 months and had to buy new rear struts and springs for my car, so I don't have enough gas to get out of state, much less go 1400 miles back to the place I never should have left.  A friend sent me a few group names to check out so I will start that search on Monday.  Need to get there by Thanksgiving because my friend Laura has put on a potluck dinner for our large adopted family for 30 years and I have really missed the last 3.  Since most of us are musicians we usually have a huge jam session for hours after dinner which always happens at 3 PM because the local radio station plays Alice's Restaurant every year.

In spite of all my recent setbacks I am still moving forward and things will get better soon.  I've always come out ahead and this situation is no different.  Elli is a badass and will prevail!

I hope everyone is staying strong because we are awesome.

Love and lots of hugs,

Elli

It occurs to me that sometimes we think about the appropriate thing, but from the wrong angle. Imagine if we are playing for a baseball team and at the end of the game our record for that day was “3 for 4”. Most people would consider that to be a pretty strong personal effort. But, what if that last at bat was a strike-out? The point is that context can change everything.

Often the significance of what happens here is buried in the detail of a message. Reading the first few sentences won’t be enough to understand the larger picture

@flatlander48  Hi DeeAnn.  I am not sure what part of what I wrote that you are referring to.  I do tend to rattle on sometimes.  You can thank a team of therapists that convinced me talking about myself to people was a good thing.

In any event I hope your winter is awesome.

@ellilynn 

Not sure what I was thinking exactly, but if you read some of the initial posts, sometimes folks start in the middle of the story. I think, in a more generalized way, it was a reminder for folks here to tell the story from the beginning. However, I don’t think I intended it for you specifically.

@flatlander48 DeeAnn, I try my best to start at the beginning, but sometimes I have to backtrack because the beginning is often the middle of a larger story.  🙂