Published October 1, 2025

Eight years ago today, on my birthday, I came out as transgender. That means I’ve lived openly as a woman for eight years.

Seven years ago today, I got my ears pierced. In 2019, an emergency gallbladder removal and follow-up surgeries in the spring made me postpone my plan to get my first tattoo on the first day of October. You probably remember 2020’s disruptive power and the years that followed.

Anyway, to celebrate and mark Year 8 as an openly trans woman, I did it.

Throughout my apartment, there are butterflies, most of them blue. They’ve become the symbol of my transition. There was really no other choice for my first tattoo.

Good thing I took those photos when I did — I sliced my arm by accident Sunday night, across the tattoo in two places, and it will need time to heal. That’s a running theme in my life as Year 8 becomes Year 9.

No shortage of butterflies here

My shower curtain, my biggest wall decoration, my guitar bag, my phone wallet, and so much more — they all have butterflies.

So does my apartment door.

Halloween’s approach last year prompted a neighbor to put the bats on my door, and they’re still there. I have no desire to take them down. I tell people there are only butterflies on the door, but that some of them shape-shift into bats if they sense danger. If you see bats, that means there’s something about you that puts them on edge!

I can never tell if they think I’m serious or not.

Meanwhile, I love my butterfly tattoo. Maybe the next one will be a bat.

For now, I see butterflies everywhere, and I sometimes turn them into art.

There are so many in my place.

Long ago I planned a day off from the horrors

I was already planning to take a short break from the ongoing nightmare that is being trans in the U.S. (and being any sort of vulnerable person in America), so to keep my promise to myself, there’s no bad news here today. There’s too much for me to keep up with, and it looks like we’re shut down anyway.

It’s either post that and smile a tired smile or cry all day, and I’m all cried out. In all seriousness, my heart goes out to people who will have to go without a paycheck indefinitely because of the destructive nature of the worst people in the country.

Anyway, I decided to end this with a favorite song from long ago.

Back when “Dog & Butterfly” was fresh and popular, I went to a Heart concert and watched the guitar work closely, then went home and taught myself how to play it. If my hands, fingers and wrists ever recover from my nasty July fall, I’ll relearn it and play it again while I look at my blue butterfly tattoo.

♥

Thank you

If you appreciate what you find here and feel generous, you can check out the Tip Jar. Thank you for reading. As always, here’s a butterfly for you.

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Tattoo artistry and TLC by Sarah Hall at Gold Sparrow Tattoo Parlor in Portland.

 

Sending love. Protect your peace.