MelanieM

This is a self introduction I posted on a blog I am currently establishing, transgendergranny.blogspot.com I'm still putting it together but it is up.

I am a 63 year old transgender woman.  I started transitioning two years ago and am now living 24/7 as me-a woman. I am just initiating HRT (Hormone replacement therapy) and have decided to pursue surgical reassignment if feasible..  It is my hope that by sharing my story, my path, some of the misconceptions surrounding the transgender condition can be set right.

I have lived in a remote area of  Humboldt County, California known as the Lost Coast for the past 32 years.  For 29 of those years I walked my path as a man.   I arrived the Mattole Valley tired and embittered, a victim of my own excesses.  In the prior 15 years I had almost managed to earn two academic degrees,  in both cases leaving confused advisers and friends. Students that perform in the top 10 percentile normally don’t take a powder one or two semesters short of the prize.  I did, twice .  First to the lure of drugs, sex and rock ‘n roll. The second to the opportunity to Rock ‘n Roll-or in my case Funk ‘n Roll  in England. The rest of those years were spent  trading off time working as a journeyman musician-have horn will travel-and a street activist of sorts-kind of a cheerleader for the alternative.  For a good portion of that first half of my current 63 years, my primary interactions with the dominant  culture-whatever it was, was across the table , not sharing a side. 

In the early 70’s I lived in San Francisco as a transvestite –I don’t remember the term transgender being used then- 24/7 for a year or so.  Two very nasty experiences and family pressure returned me to my closet until  four years ago.

Over the past 32years I have lived and worked on the land-farmsteading so to speak, while writing and performing regionally.

I currently work full time writing ,  recording and producing  music and video-much of it of a public service nature.

I am sharing this brief view of my history and nature only to provide some frame of reference for you to lean on as you take a moment to sit with me and look at what I say.  I invite dialogue and any contact point I list (e-mail, web site,blog) I list to be accessed.  Please do.