take your meds and hydrate please <3

and don’t forget to breathe <3

TRANSCRIPT

Big shouts out to Clint and Jeff for becoming new patrons this week. Thank you friends, love you lots.

My name is Callie Wright, and this is Queersplaining

Like I promised last week, this episode will be wholesome content only. I’m feeling stressed and fragile and I’m in desperate need of some gentle care. And I’m going to do my best in this episode to provide some of that for you. So this week we’re gonna hear good and wholesome things from some of you. But first I’m gonna share something good of my own.

Until recently, I’ve owned two Star Trek costumes in my life. They were both from the time when you could go to any random halloween store and buy Star Trek costumes. It was current enough and popular enough back then. So I had a green jumpsuit, and a Klingon uniform. Wearing those to school for halloween celebrations was rad. I was a lonely Star Trek fan, but I didn’t care. It was awesome. 

I’m not super into cosplay, but I’ve definitely wanted a cool Star Trek costume all of my adult life. And last week, I finally got one! I bought a jacket modeled after the Starfleet uniform we see on Lower Decks. Lower Decks is the new Star Trek cartoon and its fucking great by the way. I bought it so I could cosplay Ensign D’Vana Tendi. She’s an Orion who’s just always stoked about everything, including friendship. I love her dearly. I also want to do a costume for Dr. T’ana. She’s a super grumpy Caitain doctor that I also love dearly. I got the Starfleet badge and the rank pips to go with it, and I’m ready to go do science things on a California class starship. It makes me so happy to put it on. There’s a picture of me wearing it on my Facebook and my Twitter account @calliegetsit. Just a bit of wholesome geeky goodness for this scary time.

Alright, on to your good news stories. We’ve got some rad ones. 

Sarah -I finally beat cancer with a 6% survival rate. For the 4th time. And my OWN BODY did it! I’m GMO!

Logan– My dog is super wholesome and was a dragon for Halloween.

Tori – I actually just had someone do a great thing for me, she posted on twitter that she was looking for the dress in the image with the boots she just bought, well I had said that I wanted the boots too and she sent me a link and I appreciated it but I’m very broke right now and when I told her I couldn’t afford it she immediately just asked my size and address… 

Siobhan – My spouse makes seed cakes. He made a batch today and they were lovely.

Stevie – my therapist from highschool stepped up as an ally and is helping me pay for my therapy this year/also helped me during the beginning of the pandemic!! i am so grateful!!

Bethany – My girlfriend, my enbyfriend, and my sister of choice got together and bought me all the parts to build a brand new computer, replacing my aging old desktop I got 10 years ago. With my sister walking me through it, I was able to put it together and it has been a joy to use it ever since. Not only can I keep on doing my art, but I can also play games on this thing that I could never have played before. I really do have wonderful people in my life and I love them so much.

Rachael – I put in my notice at a job that was causing me daily immobilizing panic attacks. Still got 1 more week to go, but I’m so thankful it’s coming to an end.

Stephanie – I was able to do a moderate hike yesterday for the first time since I tore my Achilles’ tendon in June. It was so wonderful to commune with nature and see all the beautiful views.

Lois – There was a point in my young life, when I was trying to keep my two children alive… I only needed a few dollars to ensure that there would be food. Although she helped me and my kids so much along the way, it was the $20 bill that she gave me that week…it meant so much. It meant that numerous people over the last 30 years received my “pay it forward “.

Ashley – When my sleep disorder was really bad, I walked home from work and barely made it to the lobby of my apartment building. I sat on a bench and dozed off waiting for it to pass.

A woman walked by and saw me, and asked if I was ok, and I mumbled something like “I have narcolepsy and I’ll be fine soon. Don’t worry.”

And she believed me, and said she would just let the people at the front desk know so they could keep an eye on me just in case.

It was such a relief to know that she wasn’t escalating it, but that she also recognized that I was vulnerable and she could make me a little safer. I spent so much time scared of how other people would react to me that it didn’t occur to me that sometimes people would react, you know, rationally and with kindness.

And because I couldn’t open my eyes, I have literally no idea who it was!

Colette – My inlaws (who are in our quarantine bubble) have a cat who trusts no one other than my mother-in-law. This weekend, she (the cat, not my mother-in-law!) decided that she wanted to be friends with me, too. She let me pet her, and then jumped up in my lap for pets and purring. It was such a small thing, but in that moment, it was also everything I needed.

Carrie – October was a rough month. But I swear that every time I felt absolutely defeated or ready to give up on something, a message or email full of gratitude for the work I do would pop up without fail. I’m so humbled? honored? I don’t know the right word but I’m so thankful for the kindness, time and energy others who always seem to fill me up when I feel deflated.


Eliza – My Facebook friends are helping me go back to college to get a BS in psych so I can continue my path in recovery counseling. (I am a certified alcohol and drug counselor.)

Kirsa – I was about 6 months int my transition, and had just started presenting full time. My mom (who is an amazing woman and incredibly supportive) and I were walking around the local mall. We had been looking at stuff in Bath and Body Works, and were headed out the door when one of the clerks said to us, “ you ladies have a good day.”

It was the first time I had been gendered correctly in public

Ellie – I had a beautiful baby boy a month and a half ago, and am discovering that my best friend is very very young. He does something funny every day and learns something new every week. Last week he discovered that he has a tongue. This week it’s that his hands can bring things to him. His favourite thing to bring to himself? My hands. 

Deb – My church started a Pokemon Card Game League. It’s half grade school kids and half 30 somethings like me. We’re all equally excited about this and it’s the best thing ever! 

Marissa – I drove across the country to see one of my best friends in hospice before she passed. Though it was incredibly difficult, we still managed to have a few seconds of clarity where we made each other laugh, and I will never forget that.


Thanks to everyone for sharing your goodness with us this week. It felt good to make this episode, and I hope it brought you at least some kind of peace today. Please remember to take your meds and hydrate, be gentle with yourself. And know that I love you.

Before I go I want you to know that if you’re lost, you’re hurting, you’re scared, if you feel like no one cares and no one understands. You need to know there’s a community out here that loves you, cares for you, knows that you’re capable of amazing things and that you are worthy of love. If you’re struggling please don’t be afraid to reach out. Until next time friend, my name is Callie Wright, and this is queersplaining