I have always been Wrong

“I have always been wrong.”

I have been good at or excelled at my jobs, at being at the front of whatever assignment or project I had. I have always been a terrible student with excellent grades (a problematic achievement). I have always handed people to manage and help develop, and yet…

I have always been wrong.

The main issue with myself is that I come from a very conservative family where any topic outside the ordinary (especially sexuality) was treated like some piece of radioactive trash that had to be enclosed and buried very deep under a thick concrete casket. Many will know exactly what I am referring to.

So, the first time my true self appeared at the very young age of four, my mother ran scared and told me to stop painting my nails and wearing her heels. She loved – and me too – very high heels, platforms, and nice clothes. As I do, she always wore thick jewelry and also had incredible skin (which I tried very hard to keep), so, little makeup but well defined.

Again, when I was a pre-teen and trying to find myself, I totally managed to help my now very divorced mother to put bread on the table and even help our family to survive a minor accident that she had. And despite that…

I have always been wrong.

Later, I failed as a sophomore in college because I only had a brain for dreaming about someone I still wasn’t, a life that I still couldn’t have, and an image that was not me. So, I changed majors and succeeded in Psychology (which I never practised, BTW. I always thought that I had zero patience for other people’s problems because I couldn’t deal with mine.) I was invited to one of the most recognized international consulting firms, and I succeeded at being good at what I did, earning good money, and I had a good life, but…

I have always been wrong.

You see, my biggest challenge was not in being good or doing things well. My biggest challenge was with myself because, from a very early age, I was told a truth I didn’t know was an actual lie. I was told who I needed to be in order to be loved and respected. I was told what I needed to do to be part of the “inner circle.” So, every time I tried to have a life that matched all that, the only feeling was that…

I have always been wrong.

But I never knew how to move away from being wrong. I tried everything; therapy, sports, and more studying. I earned two master’s degrees and moved from psychology to IT; yes, I could change careers and succeed, but I’m still wrong about everything.

Every time that I failed, because success is only covered by a trail of failures, it only served to prove one thing about me:

I have always been wrong.

And that has always been true. I have always been in the wrong body, in the wrong moment, in the wrong emotional place. Until I wasn’t.

I started absolutely scared about the outcome, about losing, about the hard line from my family reminding me at every turn that the moment I went my own way, I would be non-existent, I would disappear, I would cease to exist, and I would lose them.

BTW, I just skipped one small fact about how my mother got divorced: I had to remain back with my father (a violent, abusive alcoholic) for him to let go of her and my two siblings. So, in other words, I was a hostage of a man that I was terrified of. I stayed back for 12 days.

And yes, you guessed it, I was wrong for not being up to the expectations of my other parent.

But one day, I finally opened the door, started loving myself, and stopped being wrong.

It was very late, but I moved forward and made a lot more mistakes; I got divorced twice myself because I didn’t know how to explain that I was not wrong.

And tried again

These days, I usually go about my day without anyone second-guessing me. And most of the time, that second guess doesn’t bother me too much.

Last year, my mom came to visit me. She made an 18-hour trip to my new country of residence, and one night, we had tea and talked.

After 40 years, she was finally ready to listen with her heart, not with her fears, but it was not a road she took alone. I have been growing as well, and those years of therapy are paying off. She is still weird about me, and who I am.

And I was not totally wrong for the first time in my life.

I was only different.

But that, I have known for my entire life.

*Feature image used with a license obtained by the author. 

More Articles by (((Marianne))) ✡️ 🌈

• Am I Binary after all these Years?
• My Spirit Animal
• The case for “Passing”
• A more detailed response to a Forum question

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(((Marianne))) ✡️ 🌈

Hello all! I am Marianne, I am originally from Mexico, and now residing in the US. I am a "Transbian" i.e.: a Transgeder Woman married to a Cis Woman. I started my transition back in 2008 and HRT in 2010, so this year marks my 10th anniversary! Don’t time flies when you’re having “fun”? I have been in several groups and only now I have taken with me the responsibility to stop being in the backstage and become more active. My life has been a total rollercoaster with many moments that makes me wonder how it may have been if I only had someone to talk to and trust. Many of the wrong turns I took may have been averted. I hope that by me being here I can make a positive mark and pass forward all the goodness that I have received in the past, and help others to succeed in their own paths. This is the last “I” that will be used and let’s start talking about “you” and “us” and make this place a Heaven, because, as Korg said (Thor Ragnarok) “As long as the foundations are still strong, we can rebuild this place. It will become a haven for all peoples and aliens of the universe.” Love you all and welcome to TGH! Hope to catch up with you in the chat, forums and groups, and if you happen to see me around, don’t be shy, I was and lost a lot of good opportunities already I may be MIA when big things happen in my small world, such as Jewish Holidays or lots of work. I will be around, sometimes it may take a little more than "a couple of days" but I will always be back Love, Marianne

Latest posts by (((Marianne))) ✡️ 🌈 (see all)

• Am I Binary after all these Years? - January 8, 2024
• I have always been Wrong - December 5, 2023
• My Spirit Animal - March 11, 2020