Thanksgiving 2019

What a drastic change to what I was used to. Thanksgiving has always been about family time, or what is and was left of it. An endearing time where all is forgotten amidst the preparations, the consumptions and finally that muted, dazed pleasure to have the people you love most around visually, aurally in your content heart.

This year, it did not happen. Partially by choice, partially because it is life and life has a path that can differ for each one of us. I had a few invitations, but realistically I had set my mind on the most unfamiliar one of them all. A Thanksgiving get-together for Trans and their family/friends organized by a Health group called Thundemist and a support group called TGI both out of Rhode Island.

I have to admit that I am not usually very good in overly social situations, I am like an old diesel engine, I need to warm up before running. 

I usually scout the place, observe and study the people and then adjust.

I have been a social chameleon all my life. being able to attend important black-tie events or smoke-filled questionable joints, where your best friend is your fancy business card or your cocked and loaded 9mm on you.

But I digress, this post is not about me, it is about the feelings felt, the results of my observing.  It was very emotional, I seem to be using this word a lot lately, maybe conditioned by the HRT, maybe just happens to be the best choice word at this time of my life. I do not know. However, it was indeed.

The event was admirably created in support of Trans with or without a place to be for Thanksgiving, and that kinda and kindly included me. It was held at a community center in Federal Hill, in Providence. A big gymnasium hall, a bit dispersive perhaps given the size and the number of people attending not really crowding the place. While perfect for athletic events, hardly a warm place for people who like me needed warmth (not temperature-wise) at this time of the year. There was a lot of food and dedicated people from Thundermist and I am assuming from TGI, even though I did not know who was who despite the clever "Hello My Name is" and "My gender pronouns are" sticky tag we all had on us.

It was a great glimpse at our community, from very very young people to elderly, all were represented. All beautiful in their own ways. It was not about the glamorous side of being Trans instead was about real people. Not the filtered social media selfie ones either. The perfectly imperfect people most of us are, not the cover girls, not the entertainers, not the sex inspiring ones.

Just us.

I said it was emotional, it was because there was a lot of loneliness, a lot of hardships behind cautiously friendly introductory hellos and how are yous. A lot of I am happy to be here and thankful but I wish I was somewhere else where I am not and I am here instead.

I am glad I went. I am glad and thankful that there are organizations and their people willing to give their time and energy to people in the Transgender community who need support.

Thank you Thundermist and TGI.