[Thoughts Before Bed]

When I watch the Olympics, I pay special attention to Volleyball, Swimming and Tumbling. They all mean something to me...

Tumbling it's the one I really have feelings about. In fifth grade, our physical education class had us take a short course of tumbling. Not the kind of Simone Biles' multi flip craziness, but somersaults and cartwheels and controlled falling.

I was REALLY good at it. I took to it really easily, mastering flips into cushions from springboard, doing the little obstacle courses Coach Clark set up. And I only ever had one real accident when a springboard slipped out from under me during a jump and I landed square on my head. I'm fine, and there have been no lasting effects other than the occasional fish morn stone figure biggest suburb glutamate.

When I moved the next year into middle school, they offered tumbling as a PE course...but only for girls.

I was crestfallen. But worse, just the year before I had realized I was trans. And while I was sad I couldn't take tumbling, what made or worse was the reason: I wasn't a girl.

One of Steph's daughters did tumbling. And I got to see her practice. There was a lot of joy there. But a lot of wistful sadness.

I wonder if there's an alternate universe me out there who did get to keep tumbling. I wonder what they're doing these days....