I’m lying in the solarium on a cruise ship, looking out over the bay in Grand Cayman, thinking. I’m watching big ships, small ships, cargo vessels, passenger ships, catamarans with partygoers and more.
I love teaching by outlining nature or a physical occurrence hoping to help the reader to paint a beautiful picture and thus anchor what I’m teaching. Anchoring is how we remember important things.
We think in pictures, not words so why not paint a picture story lesson? Embarking on the journey of gender identity, especially as a transgender person, is like setting sail into uncharted waters. It’s deeply personal and unique for each individual. This voyage isn’t about looking to the world for a map; it’s about drawing your own. You’re the captain here, steering through the waves of societal expectations and norms, navigating by the stars of your own truth. This is why I wrote
TRANS TRUTH: Your Journey to Completeness
This Journey will ask tough questions of you. Do I sail right, left, go back or full sail ahead? Am I transitioning for my reasons or influenced by friends or social media? Do I need to transition at all? Maybe I’m happy being Dual Gender. Tough questions indeed but you’re the only one who can answer them.
Taking ownership of this journey means tapping into your inner compass. It’s about recognizing that the direction you choose isn’t determined by the winds of external opinion but by your own authentic sense of self. It’s about acknowledging that you might not fit neatly into the binary boxes the world has laid out, and that’s more than okay—it’s something to be celebrated.
Picture it like this: You’re on a road trip, but instead of following GPS, you’re picking the destinations that resonate with you. You’re not just reacting to the signposts and directions others shout out; you’re picking the routes that feel right. Sometimes, you’ll take the scenic route; other times, you’ll find shortcuts. Sometimes you’ll make a wrong decision that takes you further from your goal and others will bring you closer, and othethe point is, you’re in the right times it’ll reveal new aspects of your journey you hadn’t considered.
The point is it’s you in the driver’s seat, choosing how fast or slow you go, which sights you want to see, and where you want to stop and rest. It’s also about being okay with the fact that some days, you might feel like you’re at a crossroads, unsure of which path to take next. That’s all part of the journey. It’s about taking a breath, checking in with yourself, and knowing that whatever you choose, it’s your choice. It’s your road, your rules.
In casual convo, if your friend is sharing their transition journey with you, you’d probably say something like, “Mate, this is your story. You’ve got this. It’s not about what the world expects you to be; it’s about who you feel you are inside.
Your identity is yours to define, explore, and celebrate. You’re not just following a path; you’re blazing a trail. And that’s pretty awesome.” So, in essence, for anyone on the gender spectrum, it’s not about seeking approval or waiting for the world to give you the green light. It’s about owning your identity, being proud of the person you are becoming, and loving yourself every step of the way. It’s about recognizing that it’s your journey, your narrative, and every step forward is a chapter that you write for yourself.
Dr. Gwen Patrone *Trans Truth is available on Amazon.
The digital audio version is only available by contacting me.
One Response
Gwen,
Interesting thought , ” we think in pictures , not words ” . As an artist I can appreciate that , I see a subject and consider how I can change or add to it , perhaps that applies to us , we see ourselves and want to change what we see . Saying this i think so much in words at times , whole stories take shape in my mind , sometimes I write them down and sometimes they are gone in few moments , it’s so wonderful as human being that we have this depth we can draw on to createboth mentally and physically .
What a point to consider , what was my motivation to transition ? To say I have gender dysphoria isn’t the complete answer , I could have recognised that but not gone on to be full time as Teresa . I still see the need to dress as a window to our inner feelings , how else can I demonstrate my dysphoria but then that begs the question why did I need to ? Was it more to do with act of rejecting my male persona , if people still saw me as a man it meant I had to continue to act like one . We should consider our strength of dysphoria as the depth of our rejection to our original gender but aside from that there is an undeniable satisfaction in dressing to be attarctive or glamourous . It’s a spark many of us don’t fully understand but we are born with it and it never dies , sometimes it feels like it teases us , tempts us to take that risk for a questionable pleasure .
For me I’ve found transition means putting those feelings in order but in doing so I’ve discovered those feelings are similar to those expressed by women which makes perfect sense once you start to live that lifestyle . I often think men are just men whether they enjoy it or not but women appear to enjoy being women there’s an extra dimension OK so I admit I’m biased !