So I wasn’t really on the bird site before, although I did have an account. I just didn’t really interact there or post very often, if at all really.
And so I heard how a lot of people were leaving it for Mastodon. And I signed up during that huge influx of people last year.
I still have that account from when I first joined and I post to it every now and again but it’s more politics and policy focused. And I saw it leaning that way more and more you know, just a few months after I joined and I guess I decided I wanted an account where I could be a little silly, a little off-the-cuff, maybe a little vulnerable?… and just you know, an account that was like… a little more personal.
And I eventually landed at the Beige Party. And I’m so glad I did! There are some really neat people here… really funny. I love the extra-long character count. And our Admin is…
You know Theropologist, I couldn’t do this without giving a shout out to you. @theropologist is the best. He is so good at taking care of things behind the scenes and I don’t have to worry about haters coming at me, which is something as a trans girl online, you know… more often than not, we have to worry about people being ugly to us. But because of the way I’ve found Mastodon to be and particularly this instance, I rarely think about it.
And that’s something that has made such huge difference compared to other places on the net. Being on this platform has really just been amazing.
It’s been so good for my mental and emotional health. And honestly… I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say, it’s been “life changing”.
I mean, I’ve had conversations with people that have opened my eyes to new ways of looking at things, interactions that have tugged at my heart, made me cry. Heck I’ve had interactions with people that have made me laugh so hard that I started crying.
And just… the whole experience has given me a fresh hope, in a number of different ways, in… in ways that I haven’t felt in a really, really long time.
I mean I’ve… I’ve met people here and because of that, I have texting buddies who periodically check on me. I’ve had lunch and dinner with a few who were at one point just strangers on the internet… you know people who lived in my phone, who turned into friendly people here who I interacted with and then became trusted friends.
I’ve met women here… cis and trans, who have become role models. And I’ve met guys here who are some of those…
actually…
really nice guys.
Yeah, imagine that. Guys who are just… nice.
I’ve had video calls with a handful of people here. I have a friend from here who… she, she doesn’t really post here anymore but I regularly call to let her know how I’m doing…
as well as to see how she’s doing.
And believe it or not,
I’ve become really, really close to a handful of very special friends here who’ve become like sisters.
Yeah. In just one year…
I have
new
sisters.
I am so, so very thankful I found all of y’all.
I cannot express how much you all mean to me…
not even close.
Happy Mastoversary to me.