I Simply Am.

Many people upon meeting me, or just discovering that I am a Transman, ask me who I am, and ask me to share more with them about myself.

I have always found this difficult to share. Oh, there are a lot of words to describe the type of person I am, to explain why I do the things I do, to share my own personal experience of being Trans, to share my knowledge and limited wisdom, what my profession was, or where I’ve lived and other personal experiences.

But does what I say about me really describe who I am? I think not. So who am I, really? Who is this man named Michael Eric Brown?

I ponder, and am introspective. I reach into the depths of my being, I push past fears and insecurities. I poke around in the dark corners, and forcefully attempt to pull out the lingering pieces of baggage and toss them into the light, where I can evaluate their weight and necessity. I find it’s time to replace those old bags, and I throw them out.

When I look back inside, what do I see?

I laugh, I cry. I feel pain, I feel happiness. I hope, I dream. I see injustice and bigotry, and I choose to respond with love. I step up from the momentary thoughts and feelings of negativity, choosing peace, rather than contention, within myself. I look around me to nature, to science, to medicine, to God, to humanity, and I choose to accept the Gift of life. I see other’s struggles, I empathize with their pain and I offer my heart to them, in hopes they can see past the temporal and know there is good in life.

In this feeble and fumbling attempt to explain the complexities and the simplicities of me, I find there are really only three words that encompass the sum of me.

I simply am.

Seize the day!
Michael