I went to this party once

In a house just out of Boston, with a whole bunch of radical queer punk trans fierce gorgeous kids. I had never met before met women or men who were transitioning to live as another gender. I admired one woman’s arms, saying, “that’s some sweet bicep definition you got there lady”, and she replied, “I’m on T”.

Naturally, at the time, I had no idea what that actually meant.

I have been realising lately that perhaps I am not as enlightened, understanding or as aware about transgender issues as I could be. Actually, not perhaps, totally not aware. But that is for another time of self-understanding, I’ve got some thinking and reading to do before I understand just how deeply some of my assumptions about gender run.

What I remember from that party, apart from the home brew, the sweet whiskey smell, the great tattoos, the punk gig, the random documentary screening and the general freaking cold, was the giant handpainted sign that was draped over the front of the house with its multiple bikes stacked against the sad leaning front fence. It read, in simple black letters:

“We keep each other alive”.

Zoe keeps me alive.

She has sponsored me to sponsor Emma for the grandest of reasons. I keep that reason close to my heart and its other, unfurled edges.

This is her story of why:

I have been thinking about it and it’s women/a woman who inspire me yes?

So I was thinking that I am inspired by a number of women and I think that the best way I can describe it is that I find inspiring the fierce and fabulous warrior princesses in my life who, when life throws endless challenges in their path, they know that they can get on their reliable steed and gain strength and clarity from spinning their pedals and burning through the streets. But also they know the pure joyousness and complete freedom of dancing whole heartedly without caring if anyone is watching – it could be the whole world or nobody and it doesn’t matter. I love that we can do these activities alone or united and we know that there will always be bikes, friends and dancing. With special mention to YOU (yes you my dear friend), Teagan, Jaffa, Julia and Sophie without whom I would be incomplete.

Two footnotes.

Firstly, someone (that one reader) noticed recently that I was down on the cycling content of late, so here’s a little token action for you.

I myself intend to read this later when I am shopping for a new helmet. I hope in this shopping to discover what the deal is with the Australian Standards sticker and why I really need one and what will happen with the insurance after I get hit wearing the go faster yellow catlike whisper that I actually want but I cannot seem to find stocked in a store with people and sales assistance.

But please don’t think this is not about cycling, for it very much precisely is. Case in point, Zoe is a cyclist and her inspirational women also. But even more, she is a cyclist for me in the way that cycling builds small community, because if you are small and fragile and on the road, you need to know what it means to take up space, be joyful, be playful and be fierce on the road, but all of that comes with working with you and your bike and your fellow travellers. And Zoe is a part of a rich, small community. She makes amazing things happen.

Ride a car and you just get – me, the machine and the endless delusion of progress (unless you’re Trudie Murrell that is).

On a bike, however, you are also blessed with the physical joy of doing great things with your body in a healthful way. It’s sweet. This is sweet. This is cycling. Bike bike bike bike helmet helmet handsignal.

Secondly, someone also mentioned that we were getting very little of Emma and that if we were wanting the sponsors to get invested then we needed a bit of better link in/upsell/cross-marketing/etc. This will enable them to use the phrase, “our Emma” when they are discussing this at dinner parties in weeks to come. Remember, it’s all happening in Radelaide, and we are a part of that dream. Even Tassie is getting on board this time around.

There’s good reason for this muted promotion of “our Emma”, for our Emma’s not one for limelight. Though I hear she may have other talents.

That said, if you are hoping/attempting to invest in Emma, rather than my excellent graphing/charting capacities, I would like to link back to this very wonderful anecdote back up top where we started and say that she has sweet bicep definition. She’s no circus performer (as someone recently asked me if I was! WTF) and may have lost out to my massive arm wrestling guns, but them’s the breaks. Powered on beer and silly, I am an unstoppable force. Powered on hangover and nurofen, however, I’m weak as a kitten.