Exactly sixty one years ago my mom’s pediatrician noted on the chart that it had been a medically noneventful birth and that I was healthy with a good Apgar score. A designation was also made regarding my sex.
Those of you who identify as transgender will often describe this moment as one where the assignment made was in error – that you were assigned male at birth (AMAB) or assigned female at birth (AFAB) but now identify otherwise.
In my case, the doctor said out loud “it’s a boy” then wrote in the charts that I was male. I agree with the chart entry and consider myself male. I disagree with the remark made in the vernacular, that I was a boy. I identify otherwise.
I identify as a gender invert, not as a transgender individual but as a subtype of genderqueer instead.
I recognize that for many of you who are transgender, “boy” and "male are coterminous – that if you don’t consider yourself a boy you also would be offended to be considered male.
This is also true for a great many of you who are cisgender, of course.
It is not, however, true for me. For me, if not for you, “male” is not a word that designates my gender. For me, if not for you, sex isn’t gender.
And I am entitled to my identity, my use of terminology, and my right to come out on my own terms.
Being 64 was kinda cool, there’s even a good song for being that age, thanks to Paul McCartney.
The best birthdays in the early to mid 60s are:
At 62, you can get your pass that will get you into national parks for free for the rest of your life. And also gets you in for free into most fee areas in national forests, national monuments, etc.
At 64, you get the aforementioned song.
At 65, you’re eligible for Medicare, plus you get pretty much all the senior discounts that hadn’t already accrued at 55, 60, or 62. Here in the DC area, one of those discounts is a senior pass for the Metro that gets you 50% off the regular fares.
Happy birthday! I will refrain from offering my typical Russian Song of Joy ----------- its too gloomy. But I am glad the Dope crossed our paths. You teach very well.
(To the tune of the Volga Boatman)
Happy birthday.
Oh, happy birthday.
People dying everywhere
Sickness sorrow and despair
On your birthday
Oh happy birthday
One day closer to death.
(Bolding mine.) I totally agree. I have learned a lot from reading your posts.
I liked my 60s. 70s are turning out more…don’t know what word to use there. Nuanced? Not in a good way. I hope you enjoy all that comes next, and keep posting here.
I believe that in general as people age, they grow in wisdom. So please allow me to ask you a question about aging and the passage of time and please feel free to give me as much wisdom as you would care to share.
Can you give me any insight into the speed of the passage of time? By that I mean, have you found that the older you became, the faster time seemed to travel?
One practical demonstration of this concept is as follows. Would you agree that the time passed between age 50 and age 60 was considerable faster for you than the time passed between ate 40 and age 50?
If you have found this principle to be true, I’d like to ask you the following question.
Do you think that time is an absolute entity that passes at the same rate for everyone? Or do you think that some people actually experience time passing at different rates depending on their own behavior?
I am honestly looking for a better understanding of the passage of time. I believe there is some kind of simple yet profound meaning to the passage of time that most people have been unable to quantify and I’ve always thought that people who have experienced more time passage than others (like you for instance) may well be able to offer greater insight into this question.
thanks!
