Annoying Sequels

Is a youthful transition a guarantee of a seemless transition? If you transition early, will you assimilate flawlessly?

A couple thoughts on the idea.

First of all, there is the physical aspect.

Hormones and Genetics play the major part in the differentiation of sexual characteristics. Pre-puberty the line between boy and girl (aside from plumbing issues) is amazingly blurry FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ADULTS.

Think about it. When you were a child, did you have any trouble differentiating between the sexes? The line is blurrier but the subtle cues are there.

Reach into adolescence. Still, an older observer would notice the frailty of frame existing in both male and female. But now hormones have begun their business. Bone structure changes, flesh changes shape, muscles are grown where none existed before.

At no time in life are the differences between male and female more pronounced than at the time of late puberty to early adulthood. The differences are exaggerated. The waists are skinner, the muscles musclier, breasts rounder etc.

Transitioning in the middle of all that, the time of contrasts, has GOT to be difficult.

As we age, some of the contrast goes away. Women's waists get thicker. Men develop more fat. Skin tone differences can migrate closer to a middle ground.

The key, it seems, is catching things early enough and pre-empting the initial hormone surges. At the same time, try to survive socially.

Then there is the social aspect.

There are a million little things we do to assimilate with our friends. We act like the people we hang out with - that is one of the things that creates our groups. The myriad reinforcements that our social groups make, help to shape our personality.

It is hard to catch up. I don't even know if it is possible. If we were lucky enough to be accepted in the female social circles even while in a male role, there is at least an advantage. The circumstances would have been far from perfect but at least they were close.

Puberty 2

This is the theory from my Mother. I think it has merit.

We go through two puberties. One, initial one, starts us along our path. This hits in the early teen years.

Then it stalls.

A few years later, you are struck with PUBERTY 2 (the sequel). P2 does annoying things like thicken the shoulders, build muscley-ness that even a late teen cannot match. It is an unforgiving masculinizing process. I think the trick is to catch things before P2. It is the 2nd best option but the one I think people are more likely able to go on.

So, in short, diagnose early, treat early, and be mindful of your peers.

Why did I wrote this post?

I have no idea.