Why go through all the effort and risk to hide?

[Ms.Kenadie]

To me, I get a return from it in the fact that I am at least not lying to myself about what I am. In todays world, I think just being honest with yourself, is a huge step in the right direction to happiness. I am by no means out about my CDing. It weighs heavily on my mind, for several reasons, and I am sure that I will work through it in my own way, in my own time. I am not really concerned about coming out right now, I know it is coming, and I will deal with it once it gets here. I keep CDing because I enjoy it. The feel of the clothing is still one of the best feelings I have known. After a divorce, loss of loved ones, a teenage daughter who is pregnant, and just RL constantly raising its head and biting me in the buttocks, I get a sense of peace when I dress. To me, it is no different than reading a book, watching a movie, or playing a game. For a bit you can escape, into something/someone else, and maybe thats not a bad thing. I still go to work everyday, pay my bills, and taxes, just like all the "normal" people do. Folks will always persecute what they dont understand, and think in their minds, to be "wrong". I am used to it.

*Hugs*
Kenadie

[Brittany327]

This is a great topic....
I'm becoming more confident in dressing because I am getting older and society is slowly accepting.

As I am not passable, I often block out my face on photos because I just dont like it either. Human are often super critical of themselves....Fear of rejection is a key element of our psych's.

[carhill2mn]

If someone could give an answer to you question that applied to every CDer, they could get rich and famous. Some progress is being made in understanding how people's brains
react to stimuli but, so far, it is mostly theoretical.

[Isabella Ross]

Dressing gives us so little in return? What? Few things give me more joy in life. Wow...can't believe I read that.

[VAWyman]

Maybe for the same reason NASCAR drivers travel at speeds approaching 200 MPH. Flirting with disaster.

[Tina_gm]

For some, I think there is a thrill factor involved. And also a factor of behaving in a way which is not accepted, so like a rebellious type of connotation. While some rebel with motorcycles, tattoos and such, others due to their personal makeup rebel in their way, which is gender variant.

For many of us who are older, and have strived for sometimes decades (in my case) to rid ourselves of this perversion. ( I don't believe now that it is, but many of us, myself included have once felt this about ourselves) have come to a point in our lives, and with society also changing, that it is ok that we are who we are. But now, we have formed a life with responsibilities, kids, jobs, spouses who do not know or did not know. So, there is a lot that would change if we were to no longer "hide" We have created decades of a life that no one has knowledge of us. To come out now would drastically change our work environment, our friendships, our family relationships, our parenthood.

We have potentially a lot to lose. It can be a tough road, and for many of us, hiding is a part of that road, for a necessity to continue a good life and to fulfill responsibilities we have.