To tell the truth, six years of writing, editing; writing some more, editing some more and then beginning some parts all over from scratch was easy compared to what I now find myself faced with. Afterall, I was writing about self and had only my own expectations to deal with. Now that the six year effort is a published work I find that my expectations are suddenly infused with the expectations of others. At times that is entirely too much like a job and not the retirement activity I had always envisioned. Somewhere along the line I failed to consider the importance of modern communication devices and programs in letting the world know that my masterpiece was available to them and furthermore that it contained information, which naturally, I considered very important, need-to-know knowledge about the phenomenon of which I am part of.

The very last few pages of “Dear Mom and Dad” are the “Afterword.” This blog will, by the very nature of my mission in writing, be an extension of the “Afterword”, but an extension that I hope will become a forum for others to express their thoughts and experiences of being trapped, not in the wrong body, but in a body that is inhabited by two distinctly different spirits; one male and one female. It took years for me to come to that conclusion and I didn’t arrive there by virtue of my own research.

I arrived at the conclusion with the help of other people and Abba (that’s God to the unchurched). If anyone reading this blog is offended by my confessions of faith that is unfortunate. But, although certain “persons” delivered insights and/or clues to the answers I was seeking, I am convinced that Abba was responsible for putting pieces of my life’s puzzle in place. I was like a child who has embarked on the task of assembling an adult’s jigsaw puzzle and finds that some pieces just don’t seem to fit. I figuratively stomped my feet and whined about not being able to put all the pieces into place. Then some adult would come along and place one piece which then led to me being able to place a few more. Eventually enough pieces were in place that they finally made sense and although the puzzle isn’t complete there are enough in place for me to be able to envision what the final picture is going to be. There are still pieces of that puzzle I haven’t been able place yet, but I know now that I will eventually succeed … some day.

It’s likely that someone else posting to this blog will offer some thought which will place another piece. So please, give me your six bits and I will give you mine.