How do you respond to new interest in the art?
vampirespologist Follow
my advice to you is to never waste your time trying to fit into a cluts or hobby or any community who makes you beg for acceptance and approval just to participate when you could do the alternative-get involved in a niche and endangered hobby run primarily by old people.
wanted to learn how to hunt ruffed grouse and train bird dogs so I sent an email to my local chapter of the ruffed grouse society explaining that getting into wildlife groups is intimidating to me because I'm trans
and all they saw was that someone under 60 wanted to learn to hunt grouse & several months into my mentorship I was told that like 7 ald guys argued over me until they had to pick a number between 1 and 100 to decide who got to personally mentor me.
Imagine vying for the acceptance of some gatekeeping weirdos when your mere interest could be inciting verbal combat among retirees
vampirespologist
my mentor was so sweet & funny too, he suggested we meet over lunch first so he could tell me about what to expect before we got started &1 emailed back "I'm ready to get started right away!"
and he said "I was actually suggesting lunch first for your comfort on the assumption you wouldn't want to get together with a man you've never met, in the woods with a gun."
Like, I trusted him because of the referrals I got from one of my professors but like, right you are sir fair enough. Lunch it is..
vampirespologist
#you're right, murderers can't have lunch
exactly
cheptail Fo
This is exactly what happened when I got in touch with the local amateur radio operators club. Apparently, after I called the head of the club and he told the group, this organized squadron of old men immediately began squabbling over who got to give me books and resources to get me started. I found out later they maintain a schedule of when they can give me stuff or offer to help me so that I don't get overwhelmed with wiry old fellas in beat up trucks offering to haul junk off my backyard/fix the deck/build me a shed. I gained like 14 honorary grandpappys in one swoop.
Ditch anyone gate keeping. Find a couple of spry old coots doing something cool
spockiedog Ah
I started curing (the sport, me NOT a sportzer) and I only play in the newbie league full of new curlers and those who want to teach, and the mostly retired ppl league on a weekday afternoon.
THE MOST SUPPORTIVE PEOPLE. Every time Im
hard on myself for not making a shot, one older
man in particular will come my way, point out an
experienced player and say "He's been missing
shots for thirty years. Youre doing great.
#life