Hello all, it's been quite a while since I have been on Big Closet regularly.

(I have maintained my hatbox membership though, because Big Closet needs to be here!)

The last time I posted any stories was in September of 2019.

A lot has happened in those intervening years. I was laid off in 2018, went to work for myself, was just starting to pickup when Covid hit, and business came to pretty much a halt. It took a couple of years before it really started to pick up again. Needless to say, I had life issues to deal with during all of that time, and writing was about the furthest thing from my mind.

That said, I had the time to really begin to do some self examination, of where I fit. I had some good experiences after coming out to a close friend that we had recently reconnected with thru Facebook. I found out that her child, was non-binary, or gender-fluid, and had changed their name to a male presenting name. Thinking I could help my friend and her husband, my wife and I decided to have me come out to them.

That little action, led to an avalanche. My friend, was soon introduced to me as Kristine, first in some video chats, and then we arranged a "girls" night for my wife, my friend and I, at our home. The evening that I spent with them, was one of the most affirming, powerful events in my life. it was just the three of us, with both of them treating me as one of the girls, but not making a big deal about it.

That night blew the door off of my closet.

I found a gender therapist soon after.

For a while I explored if I was gender fluid or non-binary. I came out to my parents, and my brother and his family, and then an Aunt and her daughters my cousins. Then our church.

I still was not sure that I wanted to be Kristine full time, but I was spending almost all of my time as Kristine.

Eventually, I figured out (my wife figured it out before I did) that when I was Kristine, I never felt like, I need to be my male self, but whenever I was in my male role, I could not wait to be Kristine again.

And I finally accepted, that I AM Kristine! I began HRT in 2020.

And with that over the next few years, I came out to the rest of my family.

And in the beginning of 2022, I began the legal process of changing my name. As of February 2, 2022, I was granted by court order the name change, to Kristine Veronica Read.

Kristine has been my name for this aspect of my personality since college, so that was a no brainer. My old middle name was Ronald, after my father. My new middle name is Veronica, after my mother. They go by Ron and Ronni, so I was able to honor both of them with my new name. Mom was especially touched when she learned what I had chosen.

Read has always been my real last name.

Within the next few months, all of my legal documents were updated. Including our marriage license.

Thru it all I have had the love and support of my wife, and my son, and I have been blessed that my entire extended family has accepted me, which says more about the value my family has always placed on being there for each other, than anything else. There were some I was sure would have a problem, and yet, they surprised me.

So effective tonight, I changed my login to Kristine Read. I would love to change my Authors name as well, but I don't know how that can be done. Perhaps an Admin can let me know if its doable.

I am hoping to have a story for the New Years contest, and I will definitely want to use my real name. I no longer have to worry about someone finding these stories and coming after me or my family. I am 100% out.

I know I haven't been very active here, I have kept in touch with many via Facebook, and check in here occasionally. Hopefully this contest can jump start me on writing again.

No promises, but I really want to take another look at the Kelly Anderson Chronicles. I reread it recently, and it is woefully outdated, amazing all that has happened in the last 8 years. That would be quite a task though, so I don't know if its something I'm up to, but I think about it alot.

Anyway, to all my old friends and readers, this is what's been going on with me, and has had quite the dampening effect on my writing. But I think I just may have some new stories to tell now. Only time will tell.

Kristine V. Read