Forum history

[Gail_veiled]

Spent a couple of hours today browsing through the forum history in 50 page jumps (which in no way could do justice to the 21+ years of content).

Lots of wonderful people and stories come through with examples of both struggle and joy. While everyone is unique, I suspect that those of you who have been here for years "know me" a lot better that I know myself at this point.

To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson: "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." and "The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be."

(Now I have a desire to read some of Emerson's works. Sigh, still as much of a nerd as ever...)

[DAVIDA]

It is certainly true that a lot of the accounting of member's crossdressing lives are similar, but you gave the absolute answer when you said that everyone is unique.
The only person who truly knows you, is you.
Each individual has to figure out who they are, or what they are for themselves.
Others may have some thoughts to your situation, but you have to figure out who you are for yourself.
The members of this forum have very insightful suggestions and opinions which can be helpful to you while you do so.
My hope for you is that you figure this out.

[Maria 60]

It really is amazing when your doing something and don't realize what impact it's having in your real life. The confidence level grew so fast in the beginning of joining here that I didn't even notice myself. I remember just months being here and I was pulled over by a police and I was half dressed. I told him with complete confidence that I'm a crossdresser, something I could have never done without this community and everyone here.
Reading all the different scenarios of different levels of crossdressing, I refer it like we are all snow flakes, not one is the same as the other but we are made of the same substance.
I love reading all the different opinions good and not so happy reading the bad but that's just life, bad things happen in any environment.
I always look at it like "one size doesn't always fit all" when reading about others one has to see which one fits you in your journey.
I sometimes read my earlier post and can't believe how far I've come. The one that stands out the most was when I was writing about I was going to go walking around in a quiet commercial area at night. My post got flooded with response telling me how dangerous it was to do that in a quiet area and at night. I didnt know anyone here and yet the flooding of people caring for my safety, it was heart felt and I knew this was going to be a special place.
I just feel you just have to read and see what size fits you.

[Jillcder]

When I first started lurking on this forum I would often browse the history there is an incredible amount of information for males interested in dressing like women not just the clothing but very helpful with life in general. Thank you to all the past and present ladies for posting such valuable information.

[kimdl93]

I guess there is something to be gained from common life experiences.

[JulieC]

Gail, you're not wrong! There's so many different shapes/sizes/colors/flavors of crossdressing, yet there are common threads among us that typify us and bind us.

Maria notes the idea of walking in a commercial area at night. So many of us have the desire to be in public, and try to do so in a way that's still hidden. It's like, we're in public but we're not, we're still in a closet, just a much bigger one without walls. So many of us try to find opportunities like this where we can be out and about 'safely'...except it's not safe at all! Paradoxically, the safest place to be crossdressed in public is a place where there are a lot of people. For many of us, without this forum we likely would have never come to that thought.

So, coming here as crossdressers we stand to learn so much about being a crossdresser. Being a crossdresser is who we are, but learning to integrate it into our worlds in ways that make sense to us...this forum is a gem for that.

[Stephanie47]

I often wonder if there are researchers lurking or even participating on this site to figure out what makes us tick. I sometimes will go back years and years to see how many ladies have gone on and are no longer posting. I am sure there are thousands who do not formally join this site because they are petrified of being "found out" by a spouse or family. If my wife were to have perused this site or any other spouse were to peruse I think this site and some others offer at least some assurance that there is nothing to fear, in general terms of cross dressing.