The Trans-Queerian Orchestra

There is no way I can fit all of my feelings into a fucking blog post. I can try.

No one should have to join a LBGQT group or LBGTPAPWHDPOW or some other acronym-filled group in order to feel accepted or their tolerance.
In my perfect and nonexistent world, everyone would just LOVE YOU no matter what you “label” yourself as or realize who you are. We shouldn't need a club, it should just be common knowledge! (As if that will happen any time soon...and this upsets me.)

One of my closest friends is currently transitioning.
At first it felt weird to me, but I realized, it’s not about me. He FINALLY feels he is the person he was always meant to be. “Born a female, but feels like a male” isn’t always the right phrase to say as a friend, but it’s an elementary way of thinking about it. It’s more than “feelings.” It’s finally finding that sense of identity they could never put a word to… I imagine it’s like feeling trapped. It’s not a “phase” or a “crisis.” To all of those who are transitioning or wondering if transitioning is your path, you are STILL the same person as before, but you owe it to yourself to be comfortable in your own skin.
You deserve love and compassion from your friends and family.


So where the hell are we? As a society, a body of individuals grouped under one country’s name, who are we to ever feel the need to discriminate against or act different towards someone who is attracted to the same sex, opposite sex, or still doesn’t know?

Why do we even need these labels?
Why can’t we feel comfortable seeing a same sex couple cherish the sanctity of marriage? Children?
A life and family together?
I think loving and being loved has no boundaries in regard to human sexuality.


Pride week? …Everything that celebrates a minority should be celebrated and cherished EVERY day.

I’m not even sure if I said everything I wanted to say.

Why can’t people just SEE?

Uncomfortably Personal

It is crazy that it has taken me this long to realize something so simple.
A summer home from college has brought me down a few tiers in terms of what I thought I knew.

I need to live out my own dreams, and not change according to everyone's "advice."

Advice is tricky. You never know what's the right dose of advice until you do it.

Just trying to file which to listen to, and which to discard. Lame. Pants.

Drunken Irishmen, War-Lovers, and "Solamente Amor"

Earlier today I met my friend’s Irish exchange student. (Don’t get carried away, he’s only 12.) Anyway, my friend told me about a discussing they had on stereotypes, both American (US) and Irish.
Naturally, she shared what she thought were classic Irish stereotyping:
-Red hair and freckles
-Saying “Top of the Mornin’ to ya!”
-They drink a lot
-They fight amongst each other (fist fights, you know)
Then it was the young man’s turn, what were some of the American stereotypes?
-“You’re all fat”
-“You eat McDonalds like, everyday”
-“…fat”
-His version of “American accent” was a country accent…so I guess we’re all too country
-“You like wars and fighting”
-“You think you’re country is the best”

Well, I think all of those stereotypes are reasonable, but it doesn’t mean I want them to be true or believe them all to be true. However, I do believe that we must be doing something to be sending this message to other countries. But they’re just stereotypes…right?

On a personal level, I will say that I’m embarrassed that I’m not as aware of other countries as they are aware of the United States. This doesn’t mean that I think we’re “the best.” I’m pretty certain we’re far from it, but we don’t know what else is out there…so that’s probably why the idea persists.

I have only been out of the country once, and my first time was this last spring.
Nicaragua. (Insert several small hearts and cute emoticons.)
I learned that we probably shouldn't refer to our country simply as "America" because we aren't the ONLY Americans. There are Central Americans, South Americans, and Latin Americans. This excites me because I know that, if we choose to accept it, we could all be so much more. We all share much more in common than we realize. Maybe if we all share our cultures, we won't have to worry about the stereotypes because we'll all be trying to defy them.

Solamente amor!

Spawn. Tied Tubes. The usual.

First of all, before I get into something crazy I heard this weekend, HOW in tarnation do I add a Profile picture? ahhh.

Second--
The other day I was out at Chicks Beach with a few friends celebrating their birthdays, (twins ftw). I met one of their friends who was a really cool girl. She was funny, very artistic and talented, and pretty chill. I'm not sure how we got on the topic, but she made this statement, "I hate kids. I don't ever want them. They're not cute, they're just discussing little people...I want to get my tubes tied."

Allow me to first make myself clear. I don't believe every couple should be expected to have kids. Not having children doesn't devalue your relationship, family situation, or your life. In fact, it doesn't even matter if you are married or not. Do whatcha waaaant.

Now, after the new friend said she wanted to "get her tubes tied," I pointed out that she's only 18 years old. She said that she wanted to get it done, and I suggested she just stick with conventional methods for preventing a lil' egg being fertilized. She insisted that the procedure could be reversed if for some reason she changed her mind.

Well, let's get informed! Woo!
Tubal ligation, a form of female sterilization (aka, Getting your "tubes tied"), is basically when the fallopian tubes are cut and (essentially) cauterized. At least that's how I understand it. This form of sterilization is meant to be PERMANENT. And very, very rarely does it lead to pregnancy, because the sperm can't reach the eggs via fallopian travel plans.

I'm going to end up beating this into the ground, and probably no one really wants to read this. haha. I don't blame you! Woooo

Pride and Some Prejudice

Normally when I have any sort of down time, I'll find a few books I've been meaning to read. This summer, I had a few books picked out...including Pride and Prejudice.

I have been told my several (emphasis on several) people that Jane Austen's work is a MUST read for "every young lady." I began reading a few days after getting home, and I have only read 60 pages. It's practically nil.
Two of the girls I work with asked me how I'm enjoying it. They were actually reading books on dear ol' Mr. Darcy. I explained how not-so-found of it I was so far, and then they were surprised etc etc and then discussed how much they LOVE Jane Austen. Wow.

So my question is... why? Is it the genre that I dislike? The writing isn't bad...
I suppose my main motivation for reading it is because I want to read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Yeah, young ladies novels ftw.

Whatever, I need to give it more of the chance supposedly.
I'm just not used to these stories. The best books I've read recently...

Sherlock Holmes, Volume I
The Invisible Cure: Africa, The West, and the Fight Against AIDS by Helen Epstein
The Woman with a Worm in her Head and other True Stories of Infectious Disease
by Pamela Nagami, M.D.

Those last two were amazing reads, regardless of your interest in medicine or health care.


So anyway, what's the big deal about Pride and Prejudice?

PS- I'm working on coherence. This blog might have been a fail.

Salutations and what not.

I'm not sure if this is a fantastic idea or not, but it looks like I've created a blog. Well, I used to have a xanga (yes, those middle school years were of poor judgement), but have since deleted it. After seeing my very awesome friend continue her excellent writing on Blogger, I was motivated to continue writing via the internet. On xanga, my posts were utterly ridiculous, not very coherent, and I feel they were hardly insightful.

Hopefully this will all change.

So this name... "Beda Amoeba," I may probably end up regretting it because the more I say it aloud it sounds like part of a limerick. Oh, but I have my reasons!
Beda- of course my favorite part of my name, and often my nickname.
Amoeba- looks almost like ambeda, so it fits.
AND amoebas are absolutely amazing. Single-celled and amazing to watch. And fun to say.

Hopefully you have now said "Beda Amoeba" to yourself, and if you did, I just giggled.

It's quite late, and I'll need to get up for work soon. Adios.