when is it "life is too short" time?

[jacques]

hello all,
There comes a time in our lives when we say "life is too short, it is time to stop putting off enjoying it..." (or something like that). So have you got to that stage yet and when did it happen?
luv J

[Teresa]

Jacques,
You don't say how old you re to come to that conclusion , I know there are members older than me but I do feel what I have now is a good as it gets so I must make the most of it , the clock is ticking !

On a more serious note I nearly ended my life twenty years ago over my TG issues , I never want to go down that road again so life is now for living .

[Robertacd]

Began to happen in my 40's.

Life is always too short, don't wait for a better time

[Sarah Charles]

With myself and many of those I know, we agree the best time was probably several years before we took the first steps. In lieu of that I guess the answer is now.

[docrobbysherry]

I'm 76 now and the first time I dared take Sherry outside was about 12 years ago. Since the? It's been "Katy bar the door"! Sherry's been out and about all over the country and the world!

And, now she's every fem character I can think of in my picto stories.

Either the heroin or butt of the joke!

At Angkor Wat in Cambodia a few years ago
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Mera from Aqua Man last year
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Read my motto below!

[AllieSF]

Freedom from the pressures of work and life began when living overseas and having a girlfriend that I wanted to marry. I left the company after 18 years to pursue (without success) someone personally very important to me. It effect I rebelled at the normal professional career constraints that we let interfere with our private lives. Fast forward a few years and I started crossdressing, enjoying it as a lifestyle, at that time, more than I could have ever anticipated. That earlier freedom in life transferred to that moment too. As I let life unfold before me, that freedom has let me become someone new to me and very much loved by me, Allie, a full time woman, a transwoman.

If you can get there like me and Sherry you will really never look back. It truly is a freedom from constraints by others, by work and life. Not all can get there though because life's obligations sometimes need to rule the day. If you can get there it truly is wonderful.

[alwayshave]

I don't know that life is to short, but I know at this point I am sure enough about myself that I don't care what others think. So I dress because I like to and it doesn't hurt anyone else, why not just enjoy myself.

[Angela1954]

I have semi gotten to that stage. Family considerations always come first. My wife, number 2, knows and is cool with it. My children do not know and I don't think the reaction would be good. So as I always say you play the hand your dealt. As I approach 66 I am becoming more comfortable in my femme persona and I wear leggings to the gym and jean leggings out shopping. Also growing my nails.

[wendy]

This may sound weird, but to me it was a turning point.

Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018 was my turning point. Up until then, I was mired in work stress/drama, and just working for the paycheque. After attending the concert, it was one of the best times in my life. I really felt alive and everything related to work just melted away. I realized at that point that work is only a means to an end, and it definitely helps in the $$$ dept for the fun things in my life (like concerts and clothing for Wendy), Since then, I was able to knock off a few more bucket list items off my list, and really made a concerted effort to put work at a very low priority. If I could, I would ditch work altogether, but that paycheque is something I really need at this point in my life.

Since then, my life, health, family, friends, and of course my wife all come first. I only do enough at work so I don't get flagged for being lazy, but I refuse to do one second over my allotted time.

I'm also working at knocking off a few more items from my bucket list as well.

[prettytoes]

I lost my best friend when I was 22. We were friends since grade school. It was that point that I realized that life is fragile. We could be gone at any time, you never know when your time has come. I live life as much as possible. I am now 54 and I have done things that most people would consider a bit "crazy", but for me life is an adventure waiting to be had. I always have my legs silky smooth, which helps with my favorite passion...scuba diving. Slipping into a wetsuit is so much easier with smooth legs. I've been diving with feeding 14' Bull Sharks, among many other things I've seen under water. I've been charged by Black Bear mamas with cubs...twice, and I've had a gator crawl over me while diving on a dark river bottom searching for Megladon teeth. I wear pretty much what I want to around the house; lately it's been leggings with a long t shirt, and my toes are usually painted. I get pedicures 4-5 times a year, and I always get color. There's a really cute little old lady that I have crossed paths with many times. I wasn't sure how she'd react the first time I got color when she was there. She told me "life's too short...go for the glitter!" I was quite surprised to hear that from her. I told Alyssa "how can I argue that...go for the glitter!"

I have no regrets in my life. If my time comes tomorrow, I will have enjoyed the ride!

[JuliaGirl]

My 40s? Had younger kids then, but I finally ... finally ... gave up purging clothes, and hiding behind either the sexual fetish of dressing or still not accepting that when I dress I feel utterly comfortable, relaxed, less stressed, more "me". I became calm when dressed and that was my final clue that I am who I am and that dressing is always going to be a need I have and be part of me.

Looking back, I should have also had the courage at the time of telling my wife. I didn't. One regret to this day. Felt there was so much to lose and still do, for different reasons now. But yeah, early 40s when I realized life's too short to not dress and be Julia, when the opportunities present themselves.

[Taylor186]

Mid 40s I started to open the door and by 51 it was wide open.

[Vikky]

I had always had CD interests since teenage years but it seemed ?wrong? and was shamed of it. Maintained the interest and inclinations all my life with only very occasional, immature attempts at CDing.

Fast forward and in my sixties I was fortunate to make an amazing trip over many months on what was effectively a ?trip of lifetime? adventure. Retirement followed and I thought ?life is too short? and decided that now I had to answer me inner voice and take the plunge into CDing. It was to become an adventure of its own.

Seven or eight years it is still a DADT situation (told my SO about a year into my interest), found this site and am glad I did. Its brilliant.

Vikky.

[Cheryl T]

I struggled in the closet till about 20 years ago.
Suddenly one day I had had enough and just told the wife "we have a problem".
She already knew about Cheryl but thought she had gone away or at least back in hiding. We talked and talked and I told her I can't hide anymore. If this is going to be a deal breaker for her then just tell me and let's move on with it. Since she already knew and had some time to digest all this I suppose that made it easier for her to accept.
I began dressing about the house more frequently and being more Me. The time just suddenly came for me and I was one of the lucky ones.

[Lana Mae]

It may sound cruel but after my wife passed away! I loved her dearly but she did not want another woman in the marriage! She passed away 4 years ago in March! I spent a period of mourning! Then when I felt right about it, I went to K-Mart and bought panties! I then found this site and the rest is history! Hugs Lana Mae

[Maid_Marion]

My wife was fully accepting but her illness was too much for me think about myself in her last year. A couple years after she passed I also realized that not only had I saved plenty for retirement, but got a few lucky breaks along the way.
Like doubling down after the 2008 market correction. My first purchase was a bra at the local Target.

[Genifer Teal]

9/11 did it for me. That was a Tuesday and I had previously made plans to go into the city that Saturday. I wasn't getting out much in public back then. I had been to the city twice with mixed results. I could say I was going out anyway and it may have led to the same outcome but after getting over the initial shock of what had gone down so close to home on 9/11 i realized how short life can be. This came at the right time to give me the extra push I needed. I never looked back!

[Allison Chaynes]

35, when I had a heart attack requiring open heart surgery. My life sucks enough to keep restraining myself from enjoying it unnecessarily.

This, on top of three airplance accidents, four separate gunshot wounds, water moccasin bite, going to war and almost dying twice, heart disease as a kid.... yeah. Life's too short, we gotta live....and even though I say that, I still restrain myself because I don't live full-time as a woman, which honestly I'm not sure I want to but I don't do enough that I feel good about where I'm at.

[Mermaiden]

Wow! I?m surprised to learn docrobsherry is 76 and looks so great, but AllisonChayne four Gun shots, three airplane crashes and a water moccasin? That?s crazy stuff!
Life is short, and full of surprises.

[Kandi Robbins]

In reality, it should be at birth. But for many here and myself, it's happens when you hit your fifties.

After that many years on the planet, you finally realize you are what you are and start living that "don't give a s**t" attitude.

And that moment changed everything!

[TheHiddenMe]

It's always too short. It just becomes more apparent as you get older.

One advantage of being older is that you often have less to lose. I'm retired, so being outed would not have a negative implication on my employment (although I worked for a pretty progressive company, so it wouldn't have likely made a difference). Being retired also allows more free time, which means more girl time.

Also, getting older means kids may (or may not) have moved out so one less obstacle.

I started getting more serious about dressing about 20 years ago (early 40's) but didn't do it on a regular basis until I turned 59. Now I ask myself why I waited so long.

I have a former FWB who I still communicate with who helped me dress a few times back in our late 20's. I'm sure if I would have asked to take me out dressed she would have done so, but I was too timid to ask and do it. I had to wait another 30 years to make it happen.

The right answer is generally "now".

[Erin_T]

I always seem to remember this ?life is way too short? when something bad or tragic happens ... the statement is though 💯 true and I try not to let the little things bother me as we all shouldn?t!

[DMichele]

After undergoing coronary bypass surgery back in August as a result of discovery of below the radar coronary artery disease, I came away with eyes that are more open. Many opportunities have gone over my spillway of life, but a can't change yesterday or yesteryear, but I can be true to myself and change today and my tomorrows. I am a work-in-progress and striving to live my truth.

[kimdl93]

For me, it seems that I can always find some obligation to others that takes precedent over my wants. My greatest regrets are those occasions when I acted out of self-interest without concern for how it impacted those closest to me.

That being said, being retired and living alone are affording me much more opportunity to satisfy my own wants without infringing on anyone else.

[looking_good]

My version of 'life is too short" is worded a little differently: "If not now, then when?" and manifests in a number of ways - none of them a thunderclap but together profound.