Well, lots of feels today. I have just breezed into Boston for the highlight of my year. And it is a mix, this year, of nostalgia, trepidation and excitement.
Arisia is a SciFi convention in Boston every January, and I have been going here almost every year for about twenty, and sporadically since 1994 before that. When I first came here it was the closest to feeling like home I had ever felt before. It was an immediate feeling of comfort that dropped over me. It didn't matter that I had hitchhiked halfway across the state with no lodging planned. I got a membership, and for the next almost 48 hours I lived and breathed fandom.
The hotel this convention, my convention, used that year was the Park Plaza. It was quirky, and a little run down, and just connected with me like no other. As time went on, the convention grew and the Plaza didn't. We moved a couple of times. But, due to a union strike at our last home, we are back in the Plaza for one more time.
And, in many ways, I am here for the first time.
They have renovated the hotel in the years since we have last been here. So far, many of the quirky features are gone. I haven't been through the convention space yet, so the jury is still out. I wonder what the elevator sitch will be like, that was a major problem when we were last here.
On top of that, I started transition at the end of 2017. Because the wife and I went to England last year, we had to skip Arisia. So while I had worn a skirt here in public for the first time ever, I didn't identify as Ginny then. I was just trying on a role, just "cross-dressing". I hadn't yet determined I had to transition. In comparison, I stopped at the county courthouse on the way here to petition the court to change my name. I am Ginny in all but name, and that is merely formality at this point.
Also, I have been a presenter at the conference for eight years now. Usually I average three panels each year, occasionally I am the moderator for one of them. This year, I have seven, of which I am moderating three. I know for a fact someone specifically asked for me to mod one of the panels. That sure spikes my nervousness, I don't know what to do with people thinking highly of me. And I want to do well. Confidence is not my thing quite yet.
With all those things, in no small way, this feels like I have come here for the first time, again.
In other news; The con has had a bit of a dust up in this year's run up. A #metoo incident that wasn't handled well at all finally broke open and into the light. That almost had me boycotting this year. I couldn't support any organization, no matter how much I had loved it in the past, if they couldn't handle these things properly. And up until late last calendar year they were not, institutionally.
Finally they started listening to the justified outrage and started making the proper moves. I decided to come and keep a critical eye to see if the changes are genuine. I want this convention to survive, but only if they do it right from now on. I am warily hopeful.
Well, I guess that is enough for now. I titled this part one, but I have no idea how many parts it will be. I'd like to do a daily post, but I know myself. I am likely to only have a con end wrap up. We shall see.
Till again we meet,
Ginny (a huge, unapologetic, Geek)
Arisia is a SciFi convention in Boston every January, and I have been going here almost every year for about twenty, and sporadically since 1994 before that. When I first came here it was the closest to feeling like home I had ever felt before. It was an immediate feeling of comfort that dropped over me. It didn't matter that I had hitchhiked halfway across the state with no lodging planned. I got a membership, and for the next almost 48 hours I lived and breathed fandom.
The hotel this convention, my convention, used that year was the Park Plaza. It was quirky, and a little run down, and just connected with me like no other. As time went on, the convention grew and the Plaza didn't. We moved a couple of times. But, due to a union strike at our last home, we are back in the Plaza for one more time.
And, in many ways, I am here for the first time.
They have renovated the hotel in the years since we have last been here. So far, many of the quirky features are gone. I haven't been through the convention space yet, so the jury is still out. I wonder what the elevator sitch will be like, that was a major problem when we were last here.
On top of that, I started transition at the end of 2017. Because the wife and I went to England last year, we had to skip Arisia. So while I had worn a skirt here in public for the first time ever, I didn't identify as Ginny then. I was just trying on a role, just "cross-dressing". I hadn't yet determined I had to transition. In comparison, I stopped at the county courthouse on the way here to petition the court to change my name. I am Ginny in all but name, and that is merely formality at this point.
Also, I have been a presenter at the conference for eight years now. Usually I average three panels each year, occasionally I am the moderator for one of them. This year, I have seven, of which I am moderating three. I know for a fact someone specifically asked for me to mod one of the panels. That sure spikes my nervousness, I don't know what to do with people thinking highly of me. And I want to do well. Confidence is not my thing quite yet.
With all those things, in no small way, this feels like I have come here for the first time, again.
In other news; The con has had a bit of a dust up in this year's run up. A #metoo incident that wasn't handled well at all finally broke open and into the light. That almost had me boycotting this year. I couldn't support any organization, no matter how much I had loved it in the past, if they couldn't handle these things properly. And up until late last calendar year they were not, institutionally.
Finally they started listening to the justified outrage and started making the proper moves. I decided to come and keep a critical eye to see if the changes are genuine. I want this convention to survive, but only if they do it right from now on. I am warily hopeful.
Well, I guess that is enough for now. I titled this part one, but I have no idea how many parts it will be. I'd like to do a daily post, but I know myself. I am likely to only have a con end wrap up. We shall see.
Till again we meet,
Ginny (a huge, unapologetic, Geek)
Comments
Post a Comment