Face-bookish

The funny thing about transitioning is knowing how to fess up to those old friends or acquaintances when they find you in all of the remarkably 'futuristic' ways, like social networking sites, or 'Google' me. (That always sounds so risque...) Half of the people joke that they contemplated using a susu-pseudonym (((a la Phil Collins))) as their screen names, and that they loved my commemorative Col. Sanders 'stache and goatee set. While others admit to searching for me for years, and blankly state: "Now I've found you!" Um, they mean that in a nice way, right??? And still more have tried to correct the 'name tag' game on Facebook, when folks label me as Will, and not my birthname as Lani. Funny.

I don't think it would come as any surprise for folks my past to see that I turned out queer (like they didn't already know!). But even the most astute of people probably wouldn't predict that I pulled the grand ol' switch-a-roo. People's minds just don't go there, which I understand...

It's been a very humbling process to want to reach out to people I knew from my hometown, college, or old work buddies, but not yet be practiced enough in the delivery of what could be somewhat shocking news. There are so many people with whom I'd wish to reconnect, but I don't know how to fess up in a way that doesn't seem like a provocation by proxy. Sorry guys!

The more people that have found me, and embraced me in this new life, the more comfortable and confident I feel that it will all turn out okay. There had only been two friends of mine that were a bit off put by the news, and even they have since come around.

So thanks to all of the people that have met me here, where I am in this new life! It's been very humbling and amazing. I wish everyone could have this sort of welcoming when they faced their biggest demons, and came out unscathed!

From now on, I'll try to be more Face-bookish, and put my studious tactics to the test, and figure out a way to reconnect. It has been so worth it.