I Am A Minority written by anonymous

This writer chooses to remain anonymous. Therefore this introduction will be short.

The Guest Writer Blog is proud to present:

"I Am A Minority" written by Anonymous

I do not consider myself to be a minority. But in the sense of the word I am actually a double minority. Because I do not want this article to be about the actual minorities themselves I will remain vague as to which categories I am a minority.

One is in my political beliefs. I am a minority in the county and city that I live in. Even the local newspaper states their political beliefs and this really bothers me because the newspaper has decided to make up my mind for me with the articles they print. Instead of unbiased fact based articles they publish articles that are slanted to their beliefs and have the facts partially incorrect and sometimes completely incorrect. They use rude or condescending names to describe the political party of which I support. This bothers me because I am a person and the editors, authors and publishers of this newspaper are calling me names. They don’t even know me. I’m actually a fairly intelligent person, but in the eyes of my local newspaper I am not. This doesn't bother me, as I don't give my money to this newspaper. I read it occasionally when it ends up in a dentist’s office or other waiting area. I purchase the neighboring county’s paper that publishes articles that are less slanted and more fact based.

In the past when visiting friends I would remain quiet if the conversation turned to politics. The majority of my friends had an opposing view to mine. Plus, in my younger years I wasn’t educated enough on politics nor did I follow the news so I would have fumbled through such as conversation. As the years have progressed I’ve tuned into politics more. I do a good amount of research and fact hunting. I avoid the traps such as the propaganda and conspiracy sites. I stay away pretty much from anything that leans to far in any direction. I am not interested in radicalism regardless of which direction it leads. I will admit though on occasion I do read the propaganda and conspiracy theories – this helps me to really take apart and research each aspect of their conspiracies and theories and come to my own educated conclusion – usually my conclusion is opposite what the conspiracies say.

My other minority is my nationality. I am a minority in the area I live. The catch with me is I do not look one bit like the minority I am. I look like a dark haired, blue eyed Caucasian. But, I am not. I have unusual feelings about myself sometimes because of how I hear people talking about my nationality sometimes. It’s not always nice. A lot of people say things right to my face. I work with the public and I encounter quite a few people each day and they say all kinds of things to me. I hear religion, politics, household projects, vacations, family issues, and personal opinions. You name it I hear it. Even acquaintances will say negative things or make racial jokes right in front of me not realizing that they are putting me down. My friends never make such racial jokes, because I do not hang with people who joke about things like that. I don’t think making fun or putting down another persons heritage or lifestyle is funny. I guess I feel this way because I have heard the racial jokes all my life and it would hurt sometimes. When I was younger I didn’t say anything because I was ashamed that I was the minority they were joking about. Because of my looks I was able to hide who I am. People are always surprised, some are shocked when they find out my nationality. I’m not ashamed anymore. I still usually do not comment when somebody tells a racial joke. But, I will at least say something short like, “that really wasn’t funny” or “tasteless don’t you think?”

For many years I have been used to hiding my emotions, my opinions and my ancestry. Sometimes I think I’m unable to change that part of me.

- Anonymous

Accepting Me For Who I Am written by T. Lacy

T. Lacy is a heartfelt young writer who's writings focus on teen issues. T. Lacy writes from honest feelings and sober-minded. She brings out the reality of life in a very positive and easy to understand way. What T.Lacy writes really makes sense and is inspirational to read. Thank you T. Lacy for sharing your insights.

If you wish to read more by T. Lacy you can check out her posts on her blog called "Teen Issues" at http://xxsome1likemexx.blogspot.com/

Accepting Me For Who I Am written by T. Lacy

Accepting Me For Who I am

No matter whom you are or what you think of yourself, you were put here for a reason. YOU are Special and there is NO ONE like YOU!

Learning to cope with who you are as a person maybe one of the hardest things ever to accomplish. Especially when the world around you is constantly judging you and it seems like your being evaluated each time you step out the door. People usually have gotten their first impression of you within the first 30 seconds of meeting you, and you know what they say first impressions DO count!

So with that being said, where do you start? First, you should stop worrying about what others say about you or think about you(character).  You are your own person and that’s what makes you, YOU! Everyone is not always going to like you and someone is always going to have something to say. So why not let it be about who you truly are.

Second, I would learn to start accepting your imperfections. You are original, no one on this planet is like you. No one has your exact eyes, teeth, ears, fingerprints, and most importantly…..YOUR THOUGHTS. Someone may have similar qualities but not even identical twins are exactly the same. If you don’t like your body size, or your hair color, or maybe even your eye color….change it. But make sure you are changing it for you and not for someone else! But know that your features and personality are what make you.

Third, I would say learn to focus on the things that you do like about yourself. Maybe you get a lot of compliments on your hair or maybe your eyes. Embrace the things that you do like about yourself. The more you focus on things that you do like about yourself the less time you will have to focus on the things you don’t. Keep reminding yourself of the things that you do like and sometimes it may take some time and digging to find those good qualities. But, all in all everyone has something that they like about themselves.

Last but certainly not least, develop positive thinking patterns. Your mind is a VERY powerful tool, at times maybe too powerful. Keeping a positive mind set can really ease things along. For example saying I like this about me or love how my whatever looks. Learn to shy away from the “I don’t like” and frowning when you look in the mirror. Embrace who you truly are and don’t let anyone tell you anything differently!

Song of Inspiration: TLC-Unpretty

Berlin, Germany written by Vee

This next post is written by a blogger named Vee. She has an interesting story. In 2010 she decided to make some major changes in her life so she walked away from her profession and began traveling the word.

Here's her story as she has posted on her blog:
Only 1200 characters to tell you about myself? That's not enough!! Here's a snippet... In 2010 I decided to change my life. I walked away from my profession, sold everything that didn't fit in a backpack and started traveling the world. I am not on holidays - traveling is the lifestyle I have chosen. I have seen some amazing sights and met some beautiful people. I wish to continue exploring the planet but need to work in order to pay my way. I have just finished a TESOL course and hope to become an English teacher soon. I plan to continue with my travels for as long as I'm able. I'd like to find a base somewhere in Asia and travel from there. I am passionate about traveling! I love to take photos, eat street food, and immerse myself in the local culture. I have learned to live on a shoe-string budget and I love my life. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading about my travels and looking at my photos. 

If you wish to read more on Vee's journeys you can do so by visiting her blog Travels at: http://vee-travels.blogspot.com/

 Berlin, German by Vee

If I had to choose one place that has surprised me the most during my travels I would have to say Berlin. I'm not sure what I was expecting before I arrived but 'ultra clean' and 'super tidy' weren't high on the list but that's the first thing I noticed when I stepped off the train at Berlin Central Station.

Despite its tumultuous history, Berlin is a beautiful city which is undergoing an incredible restoration project and many buildings, which were flattened by bombs during the war, have been rebuilt to their original specifications and are now standing proud once again. While I was there I learned that during the war a decision was made to remove all the statues and domes from the top of the buildings and hide them underground so they couldn't be destroyed by bombs. It proved to be an excellent idea and as each building is restored/rebuilt they put the statues back on top and then, at a later stage, make the buildings look old, like they've always been standing there.

Original old dome on top of a new building

There's still a noticeable difference in the West and East sides of town even though the Berlin Wall came down back in '89. The East side isn't as neat and upmarket as the West and people from the East side of town don't seem to walk as tall; as though they're still feeling oppressed. Hopefully as Berlin goes through the motions of healing it will filter through to all the residents, regardless of their address. Parts of The Wall still remain and one section of it has been made into an open-air gallery where artists from all over the world have made a contribution. The East Side Gallery is subjected to frequent damage from the weather as well as vandalism and graffiti. A restoration project commenced a couple of years ago although it has been met with controversy as some of the original artists refused to repaint their self portraits if there was a chance they would be defaced by vandals again. 

Remnants of the Berlin Wall

The East Side Gallery

As you can imagine, there's heaps to do in Berlin. The place is packed with history, memorials, and museums. I rarely go inside museums because I find them a little boring but being a Jewish girl I couldn't go past the Jewish museum and ended up spending the best part of a day there. It is a deeply moving place and many people were in tears long before reaching the exit. Jewish or not, I think it would be difficult for anyone to go through the museum and not be touched by the atrocities that so many millions of Jews had inflicted upon them. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is also worth having a look at. It is quite eerie walking among the slabs of concrete which are of varying heights and have been built on sloping ground. It is said that the uneasiness and confusion that people feel while they walk through the Memorial was one of the objectives of the man who designed it as it depicts, albeit in a very small way, how the Holocaust victims must have felt when they were on their final journey.

Monument to the murdered Jews of Europe

The next two photos are of a sculpture, located inside the War Memorial Building, called "Woman With Dead Child" by artist Käthe Kollwitz. The sculpture is housed in a large empty room and is positioned beneath a hole in the ceiling subjecting the sculpture to the elements. At times it's covered with snow, other times it's wet from rain, or as seen in my photographs it is lit from the bright sunshine above, almost like it's under a spotlight. "Woman with Dead Child" is meant to symbolise the suffering of civilians during World War II and indeed serves as a poignant reminder to us, and future generations, of the perpetual tragedy of the loss of life caused by war. I challenge anyone to stand in front of this sculpture and not be moved by it.

                         

Another interesting place is the new Parliament building known as the Reichstag. It was built with a large glass dome on the top which the public can get to by way of a spiral platform. From the top you can see a 360° view of Berlin and you can also see all the way to the bottom where the politicians sit. The idea behind the glass dome is so that parliamentary sessions are always visible to the public, decisions aren't made in secret, and the politicians only need to look up to be reminded that it's the people who are in charge, not the government. Tip: If you decide to visit the Reichstag be aware that the queue to get in can be very long and there is no shelter. The building is open daily from 8:00am until midnight and to avoid endless hours of waiting in line it's a good idea to go first thing in the morning or late at night. Also, you and your bags will be security checked a couple of times before you can enter. The guards take their job very seriously!

Looking down the glass dome to the politicians' seats in the Reichstag.

Reichstag Building with the glass dome at the back.

There's much more to Berlin than museums and memorials and it's not hard to find a bit of fun without too much difficulty. For example, if you go grocery shopping and have a couple of beers in your basket, the shopkeeper will offer to open one for you so you can drink it while you wait for your items to be scanned! Berlin is the only place I've ever been to that does that! I was finished my beer before I'd even paid for my groceries and right near the exit there's a counter where you can return your empty bottle and they give you a refund which is almost the same amount as the purchase price! How cool is that!! The idea is to help reduce the  litter and broken glass in the streets and it works as, like I mentioned, Berlin is a seriously clean and tidy city. 

The night life in Berlin is lots of fun and there's heaps of good bars and restaurants dotted around the place. If you do decide to go to Berlin one day, I recommend spending at least a week there, longer if you can. It's a brilliant place with an excellent transportation system and many wonderful sights to behold. You can hire a bicycle and head out to the canals or ride around the parks. There's also a huge zoo with an aquarium if you're into that type of thing or you can go to the theatre if you're looking for an indoors activity. I had a great time in Berlin! I hope you enjoy my photos and thanks for reading. :)

Brandenburg Gate

Altes Museum

Love this car!

What's a European city without a canal!

1 Year written by Andréa Hector

Disclaimer: This article is about a person dealing with her significant other going through the transgender process. If this topic offends than please move on from this blog as this blog is not for you.

Andréa Hector is from Vancouver, Canada. She is quite an interesting person who has experienced much in life. She says that sometimes she feels like she is a science project.

Andréa is a musician, songwriter, composer, programmer and vocalist who plays bass guitar and keyboards. In the mid 90's she performed in the band Liquid Amber. After being on the short list to play bass in Courtney Love's band Hole, Andréa formed the electronic duo Hector in 1999. Andréa's songs convey a sense of yearning to learn the meaning of life, a bit of confusion, a darkness, a sadness, a journey which is evolving. Author Greg Potter has described Hector as, "Imagine JULIANA HATFIELD with CHRISSIE HYNDE's swagger fronting RADIOHEAD with BODY COUNT's rhythm section and you'll have an idea of what HECTOR is all about."

You can visit Hector's website at: http://www.hector.ca/index.html

Now on to Andréa, the blogger. Her blog aptly named "Life Is A Science Project" chronicles her journey with her wife who is in the process of sexual reassignment. Her significant other is transforming from female to male. Her blog also features articles dealing with her own health issues, her family members such as her biker granny who just turned 93 and other such interesting ramblings. If you wish to read more on Andréa please visit her blog at: http://andreashealingjourney.blogspot.com/ but please make sure to read the disclaimer on her blog first: http://andreashealingjourney.blogspot.com/p/disclaimer.html

This article titled "1 Year" (written in December 2010) brings us to one year point of Andréa's spouses sexual reassignment.

1 Year written by Andréa Hector

1 year

I have one year until her body changes from that of my wife. We went in to see pictures of prior people who have gone in for this sort of surgery. Breast Re-assignment. This is what I have to look forward to seeing in a year.

She's already taking testosterone, so in a year she'll have 'man hair' (**shudders**) on her chest. What I saw of the people with hair on their breasts looked absolutely awful. Man hair on woman parts. This is what we get to look forward to because the waiting list is a year long because of the influx of people deciding they want to deface their bodies.

To me, my reality, is that it is an epidemic within the lesbian community. I do believe in gender dysphoria, but I also believe there are a lot of people who just don't know where they fit in in life, so they go with what their attracted to. Not enough lesbians are proud to be butch. They feel they have to go to the extreme. I really feel like it's a contagious mental disorder. (**enter the part where thousands of pissed off F-M people hate me for my feelings**)

I'm not attracted to transgendered people. This is the reason for my tears. What if I am no longer attracted to my love because she becomes the husband I never wanted? I married a beautiful butch. Not a man. What if I see her in the same light that I have seen the others? I just don't find it attractive. How do I change this? Do I fake it till I make it?

She (and I will continue to call her she until I have ease from my pain), cried today because she was going to have to look like what she called the 'tranny freaks' that she saw in the pre-op pictures. She finally had a glimpse at how I feel. It's disheartening. The morbid selfish bitch in me felt that at least during this agony she felt today, she got to see a glimpse of how I feel about the whole thing.

She feels that this will make her more susceptible to being gay bashed. Or rather tranny bashed. there are horrible people out there who really do see people who are transitioning as 'tranny freaks'. They scare me too. They around. They're subtle and not so subtle.

I would never think of a person as a 'tranny freak'. People who have done this to their bodies I don't see as freaks. I see this as pain. Kinda like when people resort to cutting. They feel pain emotionally and their only way to show it outside is by physically making marks.

I don't want my love to be in pain. So I accept her feeling that she needs to do this. I support her in that way. Her way out of pain is to find peace with the body she's never felt comfortable with. And if she had've done it before we met? I would not be here right now agonizing over it. I would have never started dating her to begin with. Because I'm not attracted to people who look male.

But she was a she. She is the most beautiful butch I know and I am proud to be lesbian and proud to be with her. In one year, she will have hair, no breasts and no uterus. At that point, I will no longer be the lesbian I am. At that point, I'll be viewed to the world as a straight person. A person in the closet. The closet that I fought so hard to get out of I'm being thrown back in.

In one year.

She doesn't understand my grief. My loss. I am grieving over the loss of the life I was so proud of. I'm grieving the loss of my butch. I'm grieving the way I will appear to the world. I'm grieving.

I feel like part of me is dying. Last night, I felt like I'd like to die along with that part. I felt quite suicidal (not a new thing for me unfortunately), but I remembered how selfish suicide is. Not only would I be gone from this world, but I would crush my love. THAT would kill HER. I could never do that to her.

So here I am. Suffering. And it's my choice. Because I choose to stay and go through this.