The penultimate one

It's been over 7 years since I started this blog and the bulk of my journey is complete.

I said if I got to 30000 views I'd call it a day and we aren't far off now. My final blog will be a retrospective of where I went wrong and where I could have done better.

My journey I don't think will ever be completed and I think that's a good thing. We should always be endeavouring to expand our knowledge and experience. That will be my target going forward.

I've also got a few things left to do. I've deferred electrolysis pending the effects of years of hormones but I've come to the conclusion that I need to do this. In some ways it will be good to not document that process as I understand it's slow and painful. There would be no doubt too many expletives in future missives. 

I'm still finding my way in the LGBTQ community. Whilst I have fingers in many pies, I am still learning and experiencing new things. That will be a focus going forward.

Whilst I am proud of what I have achieved so far such as my role as co chair of my firms LGBTQ network, co chair of my industry network and lead trustee of Liverpool Pride🏳️‍🌈 , I am finding within myself skills and ambition hitherto unknown...or perhaps buried. I do wonder if that was a biproduct of suppressing my true identity all this time?? That's something to explore going forward perhaps.

I have and continue to meet and engage with so many diverse and interesting people. Seeing their struggles, battles and achievements drives me to support and fight our community even more.

Oh yes battles remain. From accessing health care on an equal basis, defeating hate crime, basic human rights and any attempts to roll back hard won freedom locally, nationally and internationally.... challenges remain....and I will dedicate myself to standing shoulder to shoulder with those fighting.

I also mentioned in my last blog a particular challenge which may well be the biggest of them all but the easiest to know when I've solved it.

There are vestiges of me I still struggle with and those last shackles need to be thrown away.

As always feel free to join me in the ride of discovery. I suspect if you do, you might just find something new about yourself. Nothing like a bit of self discovery...

I'll be leaving this blog open. I've been mulling turning it into a book (film rights will be available thereafter lol) and I may in the future decide to keep it going. Perhaps then this might be the penultimate one before the great pause rather than the end? 

That's the beauty of being on a journey. You don't always know the destination...

Love as always 

Amanda xx