Two Threads

There are two threads that have constantly weaved in and out of my life. The first and obvious thread is polio. Polio's influence on my life is not just a physical manifestation. Polio had a large emotional and psychological impact. The price that polio demanded I pay has been large and complex. The second thread that has shaped my feelings of self has been my sexuality. Sex, while more integral to the adult woman, has had a unique influence on the shaping of my personal feelings about the world and how I learned to move within that world. Polio was set in concrete. It was always there with no way to deny or hide its existence. Sex was ethereal and flighty like a beautiful butterfly. It was always there inside me, but often tempered by confusion and uncertainty.