The Question of Being A Tomperson

Ian told me tonight that he sometimes feels like something of a Tomgirl. Yes, tomgirl. Why? Because just as tomboys are girls who are a little like girls, Ian is a boy, but he's not as rough as most boys.

I did not take the opportunity to introduce the conventional word-pairing for tomboy...

In any case, I told Ian that there are some gentle boys, and he's one of them, and I'm glad he's one of them, and that what he actually is, is Ferdinand - the bull with the delicate ego.

In all honesty, too, he is wonderfully gentle for a boy, and I really do appreciate it very much. And he isn't as boxed in, in terms of identity; on Saturday, I took him to his schoolmate's birthday party, and he was one of only two guests who was a boy, and yet he managed to fit in very nicely - not by playing with Barbie dolls, but just by being his fun, playful, humorous self.

(June 27, 2011)