In no particular order:
- I am a Virgo/Libra cusp. The cusp is crucially important. I bring it up every time someone asks about my zodiac sign.
- Chocolate covered marshmallows go down as my favorite food of all time.
- I’m the oldest of 2 kids. I’ve got a little sister.
- When we were kids, my sister & I looked nothing alike. As we’ve gotten older, no one can seem to agree on whether we look nothing alike or just alike.
- An inebriated young gentleman once wandered up to me in a bar and carried on a full conversation that I understood none of. He thought he was talking to my sister.
- I run. Running balances me out. It’s meditative for me. I both love it and hate it. But I do it often.
- I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was 8 years old.
- A trusted adult told me I couldn’t be a writer–that I’d never make enough money to live on. I believed them. I regret that.
- When I was a teenager, I was a hellfire & brimstone Christian.
- I am still a Christian, although not that kind.
- It is easier for me to tell people I am queer than to tell people I am a Christian. Christians in American exhibit all kinds of hateful behavior that I’d prefer not to be associated with.
- At various points in my life, I’ve struggled with anxiety and/or depression. It is part of my story. It in no way defines who I am.
- I came out when I was 19 years old.
- My family was displeased.
- I had the same girlfriend all the way through college. She is still part of my everyday life. We are not together (and haven’t been since 1998).
- Being queer is a core part of my identity. It has made me who I am.
- Until about 3 years ago, I identified as a lesbian.
- Then my partner transitioned from female to male. That complicated things in every sense of the word.
- I now identify as queer. It makes the cute guy I am with all the time less confusing to other people.
- I’ve come to believe in the fluidity of sexuality. It no longer frightens me. Identity can be fluid & still be important.
- It’s been fascinating to watch my husband, Simon, navigate creating his own version of masculinity. I’m proud of the path he’s forging.
- Simon and I have one child, Jane.
- It took 2 years to conceive her.
- I’ve been pregnant 4 times. I only have one child. She is a miracle.
- Jane calls Simon “Bobby.”
- She used to call him “Baba” and me “Mama.” When she was just over a year, Jane heard me say I wished she’d call me “Mommy.” She started calling me Mommy right away. She also started saying “Bobby” all the time. “What’s a bobby?” I’d ask. She’d giggle and yell, “What a bobby!” We finally figured out that she assumed if Mama=Mommy then Baba must equal Bobby. She’s going to be AMAZING at the SATs.
- Simon transitioned when Jane was 4.
- We immediately put her in therapy.
- About 3 months in, the therapist looked at us and said, “You know she doesn’t need to be here, right?”
- We read Jane the picture book Red: A Crayon’s Story to explain her Bobby’s transition. She understood right away.
- I’ve been sober for almost a decade.
- Getting sober was the best decision I ever made. It’s the reason I have all the beautiful things in my life.
- I got sober in AA. I no longer go to meetings. I still think AA is a stellar way to get sober.
- I’ve had the same best friend since I was 18 years old.
- She’s loved me through a hell of a lot. I am really grateful.
- If you ask me what I want to eat, I’m going to pick Mexican food.
- I look almost exactly like my mother.
- Sometimes I laugh so hard I have to sit down–no matter where I am.
- I’ve written a middle grades novel. It’s not been published. Yet.
- The older I get, the more I settle in to who I am. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been.
- We moved to Atlanta 2 years ago this July. I adore Atlanta. It is home for me.
- I hate small talk but love people. I want to talk about things like religion, politics, books, life philosophies. And I prefer to do so over coffee.
Bonus Disney Picture Collage! (Disney is kinda our thing)
For more stories, happenings, and general shenanigans follow me over on Facebook at Writerly Atlanta & on Instagram at writerlyatl.