The weekend report

It's been an odd kind of a week with England's team in the Women's World Cup through to the quarter finals after yesterday's match with Cameroon which was more noted by that teams lack of discipline on the pitch than our teams focus and 3-0 win.

The women's game isn't my thing as with most things feminine it has nothing to offer me as I was always more interested in school footie and the men's game throughout my boyhood, watching MOTD, sunday afternoon matches with my Gran and rushing back from fairs in time for F.A. Cup Finals and the like but I wish them well.

The rebooted music forum account given the male oblique adult little boy referencing make over is working out well with an acceptance for my little side shown in the avatar and by having my gender openly affirmed and acknowledged apart from being spoken to as a male by all the men.

I also decided to reset a google account to give proper acknowledgement of my gender as that too had be neutered around the same time. 

I went out with Dad and Mum in my uniform so their I was with tie, grey shorts and long socks on celebrating his birthday as his boy, having a celebratory meal together in public totally accepted in this community as the adult little boy I am.

And as more will be mentioned on the other blog I'm getting my very own small computer which was designed very much for schoolboys and girls so it looks after itself with keys better aligned to help us type.

Masculine mental health

Because I and this blog is unshakably pro male supporting those things that we excel in doesn't mean to say everything in the world of boys is always right and critically because you are experiencing them does not make you any less a male for all that.

There are problems around body self image that effect some boys, worrying increasingly so that lead into issues around anorexia and self harming that may be connected to impossibly unrealistic images of men shown in advertising and 'gym club culture'.

We don't all get a 'perfect' six pack.

Something like one man in nine is abused in intimate relationships by women, many boys are intimidated and bullied by men who are trying to live their own lives through their sons  in sports, careers and religious observance and some women in positions of power routinely put down boys and men in front of their peers.

Abuse need not be physical, indeed abuse by girls and women on males can take the form of mental or psychological cruelty.

As boys and men we can be sexually abused by either men in homosexual relationships or by women and girls so a man or boy can and sadly is raped.

As men and boys we need to support each other dealing with these challenges, listen, reflect and advise where we can.

A boy or man who comes out to his mates about his challenges isn't soft or making a fuss about nothing, he is talking about the pain he feels.

A guy who has the Balls to come out with it has got more guts than any who just passes it off as if it never happened  and is very much a Real Man for it because by doing so he's enabling himself to receive the support he needs to work on how he's effected  and take control of its outcome.

He is a real man, a bloke and we will stand by him.

The GSS Revival

Ours was not that much of a gray world with gray shirts going upon going to high school for white ones but it was one where there was some reluctance around wearing the shorts as much as I did in Juniors just before and to which I had to be said I much preferred but here in 2019 this summer it's happening the Fifth aka Year Eleven are finishing their exams ready to leave school...in shorts!

That's a big reversal since the mid 70's when almost overnight seniors went all long all the time followed shortly by Junior four right down to two by the end of the decade in many state primaries.

Back then to be seen even in denim shorts was to attract negative attention from "Why are you in those shorts" to outright intimidation although whenever I could get away with wearing them such as school trips I always did refusing to give into any and all intimidation.

In so many ways I look more like a boy like him in mine than anything which in a week with plenty on my mind was at least a blessing.

One person on a music site asked about my schoolboy anime avatar puzzled why it is the only male one - cat girls and the likes are not unknown - so said in a need to know matter of fact way it was the representation of the younger in spirit me  who loves music especially music of the past.

One day they learn more of the ALB life but that's enough to be getting on with!

Can you live as ALB for real?

One thing that sometimes people ask about me is how do you just get on with things, isn't just a fantasy existence you play at behind the keyboard between four walls and maybe the odd person who just might be in on this anyway?
Well okay there are some people who clearly have issues with life being lived in a very much child-like way whatever angle you may personally come across it.
To me that's because they've invested so much in the whole putting away of anything from their childhoods to get the status the clearly enjoy at least on the surface that they don't wish to be confront by your ability not to.
It's a kind of jealousy that you're doing what they said to themselves no one can.

This said it is actually quite surprising the number of people who do just accept it especially if you do show some social awareness and tone things down just a fraction to take out any items that might invite curiosity such as school caps or ties. 
Recently I had to see a person who carries out assessments in connection with my benefits as a disabled person and I decided actually I would attend dressed more as I feel comfortable in grey sweater, grey school shorts and long socks with a white school shirt on because in part because I have developmental disabilities  I am in many ways that child even now.
They did not bat an eyelid nor ask any questions about why it was I was in school uniform minus tie and cap but instead were focused on my needs.
Clearly to them, being asb/alb so long as you used a bit of common sense was not an issue and on top of voting twice in full asb with tie on goes to show that you can actually live this life for real.