Introducing: The Unheard Of Part 1 - February 8, 2022

Hello Again. Seems like I've been starting out with the same old line of, "Hi, it's been a while... So much has happened..." quite a lot for a while now. Well it has been a while, almost a year, and yes so much has happened. So much really cool stuff and awesome new friends coming into my life it's hard, if not impossible, to describe it all. The most important person that's come into my life is a man that generally goes by his stage moniker of Vox Elder and is how I'll refer to him now and in the future posts to come.

Allow me to introduce Mr. Vox Elder and The Unheard Of...

Vox has a really cool band called The Unheard Of. The Unheard Of is a 60s style garage type psychedelic rock band that he started in 1984 and has been playing his own music and some cover ever since. Vox is the only original member left but it is his band so that's only natural. I first experienced Vox Elder and The Unheard of at the Circle A bar in Milwaukee's Riverwest area. To say he and his band struck my fancy would be like saying Quasimodo had a little bell that he rang on his rooftop. Yes! I was now experiencing something like never before. I really didn't know the how or why of it all but I knew I liked this experience and needed more. I had a strong desire to get to know this guy and the band but had no idea of how that might happen. I knew nothing about him or how our paths might somehow cross. But the universe has a cool way of inspiring things in us for reasons we can never understand then lets us just sit back and enjoy the music. I am now very close to Vox, an official crew member for The Unheard Of, and Vox's personal assistant. Exactly how this all came to be is something I really can't explain but it happened and here I am writing and having a great time.

So to the point...

I've decided to get my old blog off the closet shelf and dust it off a bit with a new purpose and theme. Jamie's Little Light is now gonna shine on what's happening with The Unheard Of. I started booking gigs for the group early in the fall of 2021 when we all thought the covid pandemic was over and the sun was shining again on the live music scene of Milwaukee, WI. I managed to book 3 shows and had a forth all set. We did the first at a bar called Kochanski's on Milwaukee's south side the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This is an anniversary day for me for reasons I'm gonna not get into right now but was my first successful attempt at booking the band. It was the Ladies' Night Out show and except for a rough start with our opening performer the night was a tremendous success. I was MC for the show and thrilled to pieces. The crowd, although somewhat disappointed by the opening act, went wild at the very first notes and words of Lonely Teardrops in the magic only these guys can share. At the end the crowd demanded an encore song. They did Fever! Oh lawd have mercy on me and how I melt seeing Vox perform this song with the awesome sound of The Unheard Of driving me into a certain madness that... Well let me leave it at that.

About the other shows...

Well covid once again reared it's ugly head and the next 2 shows we had set up were canceled and the other got shut out. Now mind you there is a fair amount of work that goes on to make these things happen but I didn't mind that my efforts were for naught, my heart was broken cuz I so looked forward to the events MC'ing, performing my duties as crew member and Vox's assistant, and most of all hanging out with my friends playing their music touching me like no other. Life can certainly be unfair at times but we have to make the best of it and pick ourselves up then keep moving. I still had Vox and my friends even if the music would have to wait.

So gearing back up...

Looks like we'll be back on the streets in a few months. In the meantime I'm going to introduce y'all to Mr. Vox Elder and the guys in the incredible band called The Unheard Of. I'm including some pics from the Ladies' Night Out show at Kochanski's on November 27, 2021. Maybe in the next blog I'll get some links posted for their music.

As always, peace, love, and blessings to all.








Here's a little tease... Visions - The Unheard Of

March 22, 2021 - Perhaps we should just "Duck and cover"

Here we are, nearly 3 months into the administration of a newly elected leader of the free world. Yes, Donny's out... Joey's in. Although things are certainly much more pleasant now, and it's nice to see a President and First Lady sharing apparent mutual respect and affection for each other, let's face it folks, they are politicians so perhaps we should just "Duck and cover" and hope for the best. Spring and COVID are in the air so 'Damn the torpedos and full speed ahead!'

But honestly, I don't really care to be writing about politics, not while my neurotic little mind, with all its anxiety disorders, is so busy thinking about other stuff...

Other stuff like love and my surging hormones kind of other stuff. But that's not tonight's topic either...

What's on my mind are terms we use to describe others. Labels that can share both positive and negative rhetoric of things we feel about the people of our human family that we share our worldly experience with and how this rhetoric changes with time.

Friday last I'd gone to my neighbor's home for a visit. We were a rather curious little group of 3. My neighbor is a gay man around 30ish, his friend is a gender-neutral person also around 30ish, and I of course am a thoroughly neurotic old-school trans chick at an unbelievably ancient age of 66. Our conversation drifted from things like the medicinal value of psychotropic plants and whether we should eat the mushrooms I'd brought while we smoked weed and sipped alcoholic beverages, to our favorite music, and the value of a gypsy spirit.

It was the term 'having the Gypsy-Spirit' that shifted the conversation...

My new gender-neutral friend (I'm refraining from using names) corrected me and told me that while they knew I didn't mean anything degrading, the term 'Gypsy' was now considered slang and insulting to many with 'Roma' being preferred. Of course I accepted this but still needed to talk a bit about it. I told them of my old friends that were the real-deal Gypsies that traveled working Renaissance Fairs and things like that doing their art of fortune-telling and various acrobatics including such things as sword-swallowing dancing and so on. They liked the term Gypsy and were of a very close-knit family spread all over the country and the world, they accepted our off-beat group as a sort of honorary membership welcomed to their world. I also had a friend whose father had been in a Nazi Death camp because he was Gypsy. He still had the number tattooed on his arm. He managed to escape after losing his first wife and children and came to America. He preferred the term Gypsy and was proud of his heritage. I also explained that in my generation 'Gypsy' was really a rather positive term as it described the free-spirited nonconformist that followed their heart. Having the 'Gypsy Spirit' also meant you had the Bohemian gene of a creative artistic soul. All very positive things.

We talked about lots of things including my perspective as someone born into a very different time and they asked what my greatest fear was when growing up. I told them that the riots of the 60s were very frightening as was the Viet Nam war but the worst thing I'd feared was a nuclear war. Nuclear war seemed a reality that was going to hit - it was only a matter of time. I didn't want to use the survival techniques we were taught because to me surviving a nuclear holocaust was a far greater nightmare than living through it. I hoped that I'd be hit by the very first gamma-ray burst and disintegrated instantly which would be quick and painless.

I had wanted to ask about the term 'It' being used as a pronoun for gender-neutral or genderqueer people. This was a term that to me is extremely offensive because when I was young it was often used when referring to transgenders. It is totally dehumanizing to me and is used by psychopaths so they can 'not see' their victims as people. Coming from cops or other authority figures really made me angry. Another term is queer which used to be a terrible term used to describe a gay man but is now okay.

Well things do change and I so respect the upcoming generation. I'd like to advise them though to use caution with the words they speak because someday they could be accused of having used slurs that in the future people may find offensive.

You may be wondering why on earth I'm including the picture of me in my chatroom outfit because it certainly doesn't seem to fit any of tonight's topics; You are absolutely right but sex sells. Hope you enjoyed our little discussion.

 Big hugs and Lotsa love always...

March 8, 2021 - Being a sexy stripper or emotional stripper are really pretty much the same...

Well here I am again after a couple of very eventful years filled with love, heartaches, and most importantly - good music. I can finally once again hear the clickitty-click of my keyboard while somewhere deep inside there is a tiny egg of an idea about to be fertilized by the sperm of psychic intent. I will of course love and nurture this new life inside the womb of my imagination as it gestates and I facilitate a new life soon emerging from the birth canal of my mind into the world outside of me.

In other words... The barely coherent soul known as Jamie rambles on once again.

Writing this blog is really not so different from doing my chatroom performance.

Of course doing my chatroom means laying on my bed in sexy underwear talking dirty to a bunch of horny men as they toss nickles and dimes on my stage in approval. I mean, both in my chatroom and here on my blog the world will see me shamelessly exposing my most private intimate secrets to an invisible audience. The only real difference is in what I talk about - simple words like, "Oh daddy, I know I've been a real bad little girl and I have to be punished - it's the only way I'll learn." will be replaced by such statements as, "Oh my gosh, I met the most wonderful man and I've fallen so deeply in love but he's married so we can only meet in our dreams so I once again must suffer in silence - but I deserve it." Another difference worth noting is nobody's going to be tossing nickles and dimes on my blog stage. That's okay, being a sexy stripper or emotional stripper are really kinda fun each in their own way.

See, it didn't take me long at all to strip away any facade of decency to expose myself again now did it?

Seriously I do love to write. It's something that takes on a life all it's own and wanders through the narrow passages and cobblestone alleys in the darkness of night then turning into a new day filled with endless possibilities. Each moment unfolding and manifesting into a new life-form I didn't really plan. Still maybe, just maybe I should consider at least some sort of protection. Next time perhaps.

This resurrection of my blog is also welcoming new friends. Friends with creative hearts sharing our special love with the world. A simple thought to keep in mind is I respect others confidentiality so if it ever sounds like I'm speaking about you... I probably am. Please accept this with gratitude - it's only because I love what you share in my life.

Well that's it for now. Thank you so much for your interest and kind attention.

Much love, big hugs, and blessings to all from The Sweet Hippie Chick.

April 18, 2019 - Teenage Jamie Climbs The Tower Of Death...

This may come as a bit of a surprise to some of you but I was actually young (and pretty) at a time not really so long ago. Go ahead and laugh but 'The Sweet Hippie Chick' aka 'Tranny Granny', much like 'Grisabella The Glamour Cat', have had my time in the sun and am still doing okay now if I do say so myself. We ride the vehicle of time whether we like it or not - I actually like it.

So once upon a time...

When I was a teenager in high school we were required to take a PE class - 'Physical Education' is the proper term for what we called gym class. Gym class was divided into something like a half semester or quarter of something on a field, wood floor gymnasium, or other dry land activity and then a quarter of something else like swimming none of which I was ever any good at (I actually flunked a semester of gym class and had to have 2 classes per day the following year). High school was not a terribly pleasant time for me and had it's moments both good and bad. This story is about a situation that was both.

It was in swim class...

Our school had a really nice facility for athletic activities including a very nice swimming pool with both a high diving board and a low diving board. The low board was a few feet off the ground while the high dive was something like 17 feet off the ground. 17 feet doesn't look like much from the bottom up but there's a significant change of perspective looking from the top down. This difference of perspective was soon going to be very apparent to me.

Often after the instructive portion of the class we would be allowed to do as we pleased. One day in the pool in the last 15 minutes we were given time for free swim which was usually kind of fun. I had watched other kids jumping or diving from the diving boards with the high dive appearing to have a bit of a thrill to it and I wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately I've never been too good at thinking things through before diving in - this time we'll take that literally.

As soon as the teacher announced it was time for free swim I ran to the high dive and was third in line. I watched the first kid scoot up the ladder, run to the end of the board, then jump off. The second kid did much the same. Now it was my turn so up the ladder I went 17 feet into free space with the board under my feet and a guard rail on either side of me then accidentally glanced down - Uh oh... I wasn't ready for that. Suddenly I froze in terror atop what now appeared to be an arial diving platform ready to stare death in the eyes and challenge fate itself by leaping into  what would be a free fall into some abyss, well actually, not me, I was in a state of panic.

As I stood there frozen high in the air I felt the muscles spasm begin. My arms and legs were cramping and I could barely move. I somehow managed to sit down as the next kids in line began to yell at me to jump so they could have their turn. Soon the rest of the class was looking at me and then of course the teacher was also watching the scene unfold. The group of regular folks was quickly becoming an out of control mob yelling at me and taunting me. I had manged to lay face down frozen with terror as the mob enjoyed the show and the teacher became more and more angry. I had no way out, my mind racing and screaming at an unresponsive body. I'd just have to wait it out until I died of thirst or starvation and my lifeless body would finally fall apathetically to the hard tile floor. There was nothing else I was able to do.

Finally class time ended and the teacher sent the rest of the class to the showers and locker room to get to their next classes on time. The teacher had calmed down and was trying to find a solution that didn't involve calling in the fire department. He began speaking gently to me telling me to close my eyes and just breath. I did this and a slight bit of the terror began to dissipate. The teacher kept talking in a calm voice and I began to relax a little more. He had me open my eyes but to look only at the board just inches in from of my nose. His plan was working and he gradually eased the muscle spasms to the point that I was able to move then got me down the ladder. Now I was back on solid ground and while terribly shaken by the ordeal, was able to move on.

By the next day the school had pretty much forgotten my award winning show and moved on to find new and different things to tease me and others about but the time for that dreaded afternoon gym class was quickly approaching. What was going to happen was nothing short of a major surprise to me and the rest of the class including the teacher. As soon as I passed through the door and into the pool area I found myself running to the high dive. Normally we were required to form a line and stand at attention while role call was taken and any disobedience to this rule would result in harsh punishment, but here I was running to the very thing that had, just the day before, destroyed me without mercy. It was if something had taken over me as I ran up that 17 feet of ladder, onto the diving board itself, and then right off the end and into the water below. I hadn't thought about what was going on and swam to the surface to accept whatever punishment awaited me. But what a surprise was to come.

As my head broke the surface of the water and went up into the air I saw and heard the entire class including the teacher applauding me and shouting words of praise and admiration. I really hadn't realized what I'd done until this very moment and suddenly felt incredibly good about myself and the world. I swam to the side of the pool, climbed out, and got into line. The applause quickly died down and class went on as usual while I took in what had happened. What a day - my worst nightmare became a harmless memory to be tucked away in some rarely visited place in time and space. It still feels good.

So on we go...

I suppose there's a moral here  but you can decide what to do with it. For me it's a memory of a time not really so long ago that has woven itself into this story I call my life. I have no idea why we participate in this great world of interaction with each other as we strive to be the best person we can possibly be and ought never judge another as we all work to piece these events together in some coherent way until we finally leave this place to whatever is next.

Much love, big hugs, and blessings to all from The Sweet Hippie Chick.

April 17, 2019 - I'm Okay And I Do Appreciate Your love And Concern...

Hi again everyone. I hope you're all doing well. Here we are well into the spring of 2019 and the temp in Southern California is already 80+ degrees. Of course there's always a lot going on in my life. If you've been reading my posts you'll know that the end of January and all of February was a very difficult time for me. On January 22 I wrote a piece that had the title of  'To Be Or Not To Be'. I was in a deep dark depression and considered whether or not I wanted to continue on. I'l leave it to you if you wish to have a look at that post and understand what I'm talking about. I'm more or less getting back to my usual self again (whatever that may be - I'm never quite sure myself lol).

I'm so grateful to have such incredible friends...

Thank goodness I have such incredible friends. Someone very close to me asked (when I was in my darkest place) if I'd been thinking about hurting myself (again, see January 22 for details) and after some hemming and hawing and feeling like she could see into my heart and read my mind I admitted that I'd been giving it some very serious thought. I believe she  and her boyfriend spoke to another very close mutual friend and he is apparently trying to raise some money for me to get back to my therapist for a much needed visit that I can't afford. If any of the 3 of you are reading this, "Thank you very much. I'm so grateful to have friends like you. Please know that I'm okay and I don't actually see ending things as a valid option. I love you all so much and am fighting the tears of deepest gratitude right now. If I'd had people like you in my life when everything I loved and worked for was utterly destroyed I probably would have avoided so much pain that included years of severe morphine addiction and 7 months of homelessness. Your the best I could ever hope for in my life."

So life moves on...

As I adjust and recover I've decided that a big move is what I need. I'm making plans to either go back to Milwaukee or move in with my long distance boyfriend in St. Petersburg. If you're familiar with my philosophy about whether suicide is a valid option to solve problems you'll understand that I see Milwaukee or St. Petersburg as options that, "might be better, may be the same as I have right now, or could possibly be much worse" (see previously mentioned January 22 post for what that means). At least the choice of moving to a new city allows the option of walking away if the new environment turns out to be the same or worse than what I have now. Even if worst case means someone else taking my life then at least the decision of my fate will be in the hands of something far more loving and wise than I can ever be.

Along with all that...

I've also made a tremendous number of new friends on Facebook. I hope to reach out through that medium to the world as 'The Sweet Hippie Chick' and do something positive in the realm of social justice. My biggest issues are of course lgbt+ and also incarceration and addiction. Of course there are many more things going on that I hope to give a platform to. I'm pretty excited about it. btw To all the wonderful folks that have been texting or requesting video chats, I've been overwhelmed with hundreds of such requests everyday and it's impossible for me to even begin to accept or answer them. I wish I could and I want to get to know you all - there's just too many.

I guess that's it for now...

So I'm going to wrap it up here. Thanks for sharing your time with me. Of course, your thoughts are very important to me and you may share by clicking the 'Comment' button at the end of this post. From The Sweet Hippie Chick, big hugs, much love, and best of blessings to you all always.

April 3, 2019 -The Sweet Hippie Chick Is Still here

Well hello again to all my dear friends (especially you my dear whom I now know is reading my work after all, and yes, enjoying it ;)) thank you all for taking the time to follow my sometimes chaotic train of thought, okay not so much a train that stays on the tracks, but more like a hyper-exotic marble in an out-of-control pinball machine or the first released neutron in what will turn into a chain reaction that will eventually explode into a new star in the heavens. We all shine our very special  light in the beautiful rainbow of life, just be cautious when looking too deeply at my light - staring into a sun for too long may damage your retinas.

So anyhow...

I know I said I was going to get back to regular blog posting but have fallen short. I've fallen short in too many areas of my life over the last few months. This has been an uncontrollable response to some rather severe catastrophes in my life - again. My usual passiveness that leads me to complete apathy has once again served me in dealing with my demons. Most people/animals will strike back when under attack but for me I fear that striking back means lowering my guard and opening myself to more attacks. If you recall in the Star Trek series the firing of the photon torpedoes meant dropping the star ship's protective shields making it momentarily vulnerable to counter attack. I feel so much safer within the safety of my apathy or being with a guy that is masculine and strong who's presence gives me a feeling of safety, not necessarily a boyfriend, maybe just a very good looking guy that is a close friend even if he wont admit to reading and enjoying my writing. Yes my dear, I again am talking about you, it's okay, I know you love me (tee-he).

Getting to the point...

Somehow I find it so much easier to express my deepest emotions through writing even though I know it's going to be getting even greater exposure to friends and the world in general. I am a very passionate, emotional, and affectionate person and this can be a bit overwhelming, especially to my male friends that in personal conversation will remind me from time to time, "Jamie, I only ask one thing of you - just one thing! Please shut the fuck up!" The funny thing is that this being one of those guy things that irritate and frustrate me to no end at the same time are some of the things I like best about men (well among other things of course (said with a blush)). Guys take so damn much maintenance but I need them anyhow. Must be the hormones again.

There is some news to report...

Plans to make my big move out of SoCal are actually underway. I'm planning to move to Florida to live with my boyfriend. Yes, this is coming from the one who professed so often, "This kitty don't do well on a leash" is giving up her feral nature to become domesticated. If you're wondering who this (lucky?) man is, please look back a few posts to the picture of the guy I said is my new boyfriend - I'm moving in with Kevin. I'm not so concerned about how well I'll adjust but my real concern is for him - seriously, I can be a handful, a real mess at times. I think we'll be happy.

Now this is important...

I do want to visit some very special friends as I make this cross-country trek. I so want some time my my dear dear friend and mentor the beautiful Ms Brittany Morgan. It's been far too long and I miss my friend. I want to see my wonderful new friend Carey for a special hug and some time to really get to know each other. I need hugs from Marisol, Jezzy, and of course Vivian. There's so many people I want to see and at the same time will miss my special friend here (yes I'm talking about you again - see you've read this far). There'll be a few more tears on my pillow at night but as I've said before, "My tears are a small price to pay for all they've given me". My gosh I love you all so much!

One last thing...

I've seen a tweeting mini-brain masquerading as the leader of the free world plagiarizing my use of the ellipses (...). Hey! I stole that fair and square from Kurt Vonnegut Jr. many years ago. Get your own style jerk!

Okay this is it for real...

I truly hope to keep you very special friends posted on what's happening. I love to write and now I know that even though they may not admit it, someone who's opinion I value very highly, is reading this and I hope is smiling, yes - I love you too.

So from The Sweet Hippie Chick, big hugs and kisses and wishing you all the best life has to offer.

March 1, 2019 - An Evening In Jamie-Land

Hi everybody. I know I haven't been posting much, it's been a rather difficult time this last month with way too much drama and things that have been driving me into a deep depression stifling my creativity beyond my ability to cope effectively. I did have a rather funny experience recently though that I shared in a newsletter I help with. The newsletter is for a group called FFLUID - Family Friends Living United In Diversity. FFLUID is a support group for LGBTQ+ people along with family and others that want to understand and support us or maybe need support themselves. It's mainly transgender and families but everyone is welcome and encouraged to join us because it's all about love, understanding, and accepting. I'm sharing the article here exactly as it appears in the newsletter. Hope you enjoy.

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Well it’s been a very quiet 2 weeks and I’ve felt hard pressed to find much to share. There was the panel discussion on February 24 giving teens a chance to speak with adult LGBTQ+ folks but it was a closed and private meeting so I had to miss out. Again, I was told this was considered private and confidential so I couldn’t get the scoop from the panelists either.

How about I share something else on a trans related subject?

On Wednesday February 27 I was looking to get out a little so I checked a list of events and saw a PFLAG meeting at 7:00 P.M. in Oak Park at that church - I ought to have said ‘thought I saw’. I put on something a little nicer than what I’d been wearing that afternoon, nothing terribly fancy, just my boots with the 2 inch heels rather than my comfortable clogs and of course I had to wear my new rose colored big round ‘hippie’ glasses that I just got from Amazon - a little birthday gift for myself (btw - I order these things in bulk since I love the look). Into my car I went with my usual night terror - my fear of long drives alone especially at night. Yes, yes I know - I’m just a little bundle of neurotic personalities, welcome to the 21st century.

I found the meeting place with the help of my also neurotic friend Google Maps. Google warned me as I was leaving, “The church may be closed by the time you get there.” I just spoke loudly and with a proud laugh, “Not this time Google. Ha! I know something you don’t know.” Gawd I’m such an idiot!

The lights were on and the door was open, there was a group of people already sitting inside. I strutted on in, as if walking onto a stage getting ready to do my best Janis Joplin imitation for a big drag show, singing to myself my own version of the old song ‘Lola’ - “I’m not dumb but I don’t understand, why I walk like a woman, but talk like a man, because I’m Jamie, sweet lovable Jamie, transgender-er Jamie…” Yes I proudly strutted into that room quietly singing my little theme song to myself walking right into a… BIBLE STUDY??? I was at a Bible study? Damn, when I make a fool of myself I do it big (and I do it often). Of all the mistakes I could have made I was at a Bible study group.

Actually the folks were very nice and told me they didn’t think PFLAG was meeting that night. Of course I insisted I was sure so they invited me to join them. I declined but they suggested I hang around a few minutes to make sure nobody else would show up - gawd I hate being so self confident that I drag nice normal people into my fantasy world that is only meant for me.

Well I sat in an adjoining room and a very nice man from the Bible study sat with me. We chatted for 5 or 10 minutes. I of course told him I’m with the UCC church in Simi Valley hoping to give myself some level of credibility, which it turned out was unnecessary. We talked about some social justice issues and smiled and laughed a bit - he really was a very nice person. He told me how he just retired from the church and they threw him a party. This all seemed so sweet but I decided it was time to go so with a big smile and warm hug off I went back to my car ready for the nerve shaking drive home in the dark. Google, although quiet, was somehow mocking me the entire trip. I considered a stop at Del Taco since I’d not eaten much all day. I decided instead to just head home and warm up a can of vegetarian chili. Nothing like a bowl of hot chili on a cold rainy night. I had rice instead. Well I warned y’all, it’s been a slow 2 weeks. Hope you enjoyed, ‘An Adventure In Jamie-Land'. See you at a meeting soon (I hope, oh gawd I hope…)

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As always this is posted with much love, big hugs, and wishing many blessings to all from The Sweet Hippie Chick...