Brother, can you spare a dime?

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I spent my day looking for stray aluminum cans. 500 cans meant I’d be able to stay the night at the Salvation Army as long as I got to the recycling center before 5 o’clock. Anything short of that meant I’d get to sleep in the woods. I really didn’t like sleeping in the woods. I had a tarp I could set up as a shelter from the rain, but it didn’t help a whole lot when it had been raining earlier in the day. That wasn’t the real problem with sleeping there, though. The real problem was that the woods were inhabited by other people, some of whom weren’t so nice.

I was terrified that someone would try to rape me and find out my secret. I don’t guess just being straight out raped wouldn't be any better, but I was terrified someone would find out that I was truly a male underneath the ragged skirt and top

It wasn’t like I could complain. I’d had almost 40 years with my husband, sleeping every night in his embrace. He loved to play with my breasts and the feeling of his hardness nestling into my butt cheeks never failed to arouse me. It was just that now, when there was nothing but the emptiness of the woods to hold me, I was frightened.

There was a while where I had the help of some other women, but now they were gone. Now I was out there alone with no one to help me, no place to sleep without the fear. I drew my thin coat around me in the subzero cold and shivered myself to sleep.

I prayed to some unknown god that I would not wake up in the morning and lo! This night, my prayer was answered. Somewhere in the night, I felt a pain in my chest and I couldn’t breathe. I spent the time while I was gasping out my last breath thanking some nameless god for an end to my suffering. I waited for the white light, for my love to welcome me into his arms, but that was all some cruel myth. My life faded to blackness, the peace of oblivion.

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Comments

Dear Theidre!

You have opened up a lot of real hard questions for some of us!

What happens if we are the only ones left?

LoL
Rita

Age is an issue of mind over matter.
If you don't mind, it doesn't matter!
(Mark Twain)

LoL
Rita

Five paragraphs

and you've told a story...wish i could write as well as that!

Kirri

I Feel Your Pain

You are scared of a future alone, and see only oblivion. I hope you find Peace

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Automatic?

I liked this as I read, but as I got to the end I thought "oh no!"
You see, it's a foible of mine, a peccadillo of my feel for narrative, that I become perturbed by a story narrated posthumously.
I know there are precedents, but it demands a suspension of disbelief I find difficult. Probably just me and everyone else is fine with it.
Not intended as a criticism, I'm merely wondering if I'm out on my own here, or are there others who share my outlook?

XX
AD

In My Thoughts and Prayers

Theide, you are in my thoughts and prayers. No matter the specifics of your real life situation, I sense real pain. I wish you peace.

To everyone here, ours is a peculiarly isolating condition, and the consequences for being out can be grave. Please take a risk and find it in your heart to support the many individuals and groups who do good work supporting our community. Not only is it the right thing to do, it is necessary for all of us to come together as a community to effect real change. To trans women specifically, only if we support all other women, including cis women, will they support us. Please volunteer, donate, and otherwise support the many groups who fight against homelessness, domestic violence, sexism, and anti-choice groups. In the Boston, MA, USA area, The Network/La Red does excellent work fighting partner abuse in the LBT community, including providing emergency shelter. http://www.thenetworklared.org/. Also, Rosie's Place provides shelter to trans women living full time. http://www.rosies.org/. Father Bill's in Quincy, MA, USA provides shelter in a trans-friendly manner to all. http://www.fatherbillsmainspring.org/.

The simple act of shopping through iGive.com supports a cause of your choice. Everyone should be making all of their purchases through this service! A wide array of online retailers donate a portion of your order. Victoria's Secret donates 1.6%!

Sorry for hijacking this for a plug. Please don't turn this into a flame war on choice. :)

I can't say I liked the story

as it is sad.
but it leaves a lasting impression. Memento mori, and we are all mortal, even when we triumph,