Bit of a weird one but because I love the sea, and sailing, the classic folk song “The Mary Ellen Carter” by Stan Rogers really gets me fired up. It’s about a ship that sinks and the efforts of the crew to raise her and sail her again. When I feel at my emotional worst the last verse repeats in my mind:

“And you to whom adversity has dealt the final blow, with smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go: turn to, and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain and like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!”

Reading the comments and I’m really glad it’s not just me who’s experiencing the fact that my interactions with people either seem to now be really lovely or hateful. Fortunately, even in the UK, it seems most people are supportive which brings me great euphoria Even with the negative encounters it’s not been uncommon for a supportive stranger to come to my aid.

One interesting thing I’ve noticed is the gender ratio of my closest friends has over time shifted from mostly cishet guys to mostly women and enbies.

Thanks for sharing this with us, it sounds like you put so much effort in and it really paid off, both in yourself and the funeral service. Sorry you had to hear that from your partners friend at the end though, there’s often always one and they’ll always think they’re being so funny and original. -_-

You’ve reminded me I’ve started to take my own position in my transition for granted and put myself down for how far I have still to go instead of celebrating how far I’ve come, so thank you for that.

The secret ingredient is crime