WITHOUT CONSTRICTION

Published February 8, 2021 by Nan Mykel

Night. Under bed covers Moon visible through gauze

curtains. A sluggish stream supports me. Kersplash,

a fish. A whippoorwill’s call, a dream bird. Comfy.

Moored in the here and now like it or not. Like it.

Here it all makes sense.

Could this be involved in transgenders?

Published February 5, 2021 by Nan Mykel

Intersex does not mean transgender, and the internet contains no information on the suggestion that imprinting effects the gender of children who insist they are of a different gender than they are biologically.  There have been some studies that found connections between the observation of imprinting behaviors and the brains of non-humans, however.  

intersex people*  largely acquire their gender identity via imprinting. Therefore, intersex people often choose the gender of those they imprint on—whether it be a friend, family member, etc.  This suggests that imprinting can be a powerful phenomenon and can have an intense effect on an individual’s overall development and mental state.







An integral characteristic of imprinting is that it occurs at a specific point in life, usually beginning the moment they are born. This period varies between species, ranging from within a day or so after birth to almost the first few years of life. Imprinting does not normally occur later.  In animals, imprinting involves being drawn to the characteristics or sight of the first creature or item seen at the time of or shortly after birth. Although it has been most studied in ducklings, most animals appear to have some type of imprinting mechanism.  

Just a thought.  How else to hypothesize the existence of children insisting they are a different gender?  The effect has been little studied, and I was not able to find any hypothesized connection between the two.  I'm open to enlightenment.




* Intersex people are born with sex characteristics, such as genitals, gonads and chromosome patterns that, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies."

There is an estimated 1.7 percent of the population worldwide who fall into this category..

One Man’s View on Kamala

Published February 2, 2021 by Nan Mykel

Keith Wilson writes:

The swearing in of Joe Biden as the 46th president is a huge deal. We can return to more normalcy in governance as he tries to unite us. But, let me set that aside and say the inauguration of Kamala Harris as vice-president is “a big effing deal.”

Seeing a woman sworn in as vice president is a long time over due for a country that touts democracy. Other democracies have preceded us with a woman being president, prime minister or chancellor. Angela Merkel, Jacinda Arden, Tsai Ing-wen, Sanna Marin, Indira Ghandi, Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May all come to mind just to name a few.

Harris is not just breaking the ceiling as a woman, which is a big effing deal by itself. She is the first African-American, the first Asian-American, and part of the first multiracial couple and family to occupy the home of the vice-president. She is uniquely American, as representative of our melting pot as one can get.

But, as a man, let me attempt to address this walk-in-the-shoes moment and what it means. My wife wore pearl earrings to honor Harris’ alma mater as she watched. And, she was crying after Harris was sworn in. A man does not realize how a woman feels to be treated in an overbearing way. Or, to be condescended to. Or to be belittled. Or, to be passed over for a promotion because of her gender. Or, to be sexually harassed or even assaulted.

Sheryl Sandberg wrote the excellent book called “Lean in,” which tells women to lean into opportunity or push back. It was and is a great title in that men are very skilled at leaning in. There is a line, I think from this book, that says a man with lesser skill sets will often feel more qualified for a job than a woman does with more skill sets.

We must layer into Harris’ make-up the fact she is a multiracial woman of color. In an interview on CBS Sunday Morning, she noted she has been told “no” at every step of the ladder. Then, she smiled and said “I eat ‘no’ for breakfast.” That embodies Sandberg’s theme. Just think of all of the young women and young women of color she will influence going forward. Be a leader, be a scientist, be an engineer, be a doctor….don’t accept no as a reason you cannot.

This is a big effing deal. I wish her, Joe Biden and their families and staffs the greatest of success. We need them to succeed in uniting us.

Keith Wilson, Charlotte, Independent

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