Lion Pride

Where did we leave off? Oh yes! I was sharing about the costume!

I was hell-bent on having a tutu, no matter what I finally arrived on 'being'... So I had decided in the end to 'be a lion'. A lion in tutu!

Not only did I make the tutu in the picture below, but I made a smaller one to be my 'mane' and on my wrists were little 'tufts' of 'fur' all made of tulle. Seeing how I had both a tutu and a mane, I decided I was undoubtedly a gender-variant lion. I was certainly colourful and cheerful! I was also very shy, however.

Lion in a tutu - Ottawa

Before leaving my quaint little 'town' for this fun event and new horizons, I had decided to push my boundaries as much as possible. I tend to be a shy human, and learned that even as a lion I was still rather shy. Aside from running loose a time or two and having strange and sudden bursts of courage where I would entertain the thought of talking to a hot stranger, I mostly hid behind my mane whenever any form of attention was directed my way. Kind of funny really. Wear a giant puff of in-your-face tulle and try to go unnoticed. C'mon. Do it. 

I truly didn't want to be a wallflower, but neither was I skilled in flirting or making my desires known. BUT, I kept reminding myself that I wanted to make the most out of this awesome opportunity. 

I learned a lot about myself that weekend. 

To steal quotes from a previous writing of mine when I was freshly home from that trip:

I could write an entire book on personal discoveries, growth and self-awareness as they unfold, but this is not about my journey as much as it is about finding an oasis. A resting place. Somewhere where everything felt 'normal' and fine.

I have never witnessed such a beautifully woven tapestry of women. Size, shape, stature, age, experiences, orientation, gender identity, play style, love style, personality - all meshed harmoniously like a giant leather glove that fits whoever dares try it on. 

One of the greatest bits of new found knowledge I left Ottawa with, was a need for community. Community is something I plan to explore further in a future post.

Let me leave you with this teaser: Lions live and thrive in prides. They understand and need community. I'm very thankful for the extended, scattered-about community that I've been introduced to and very warmly received in.