Selected advice from an Akkadian father to his son

“Do not set out to stand around in the assembly. Do not loiter where there is a dispute, for in the dispute they will have you as an observer. Then you will be made a witness for them, and they will involve you in a lawsuit to affirm something that does not concern you. In case of a dispute, get away from it, disregard it! If a dispute involving you should flare up, calm it down. A dispute is a covered pit, a wall which can cover over its foes; it brings to mind what one has forgotten and makes an accusation against a man. Do not return evil to your adversary; requite with kindness the one who does evil to you, maintain justice for your enemy, be friendly to your enemy.

Give food to eat, beer to drink, grant what is requested, provide for and treat with honor. At this, one’s god takes pleasure. It is pleasing to Shamash, who will repay him with favor. Do good things, be kind all your days.”

“Do not speak ill, speak only good. Do not say evil things, speak well of people. He who speaks ill and says evil—people will waylay him because of his debt to Shamash. Do not talk too freely, watch what you say. Do not express your innermost thoughts even when you are alone. What you say in haste you may regret later. Exert yourself to restrain your speech.

Worship your god every day. Sacrifice and pious utterance are the proper accompaniment of incense. Have a freewill offering for your god, for this is proper toward a god. Prayer, supplication, and prostration offer him daily, then your prayer will be granted, and you will be in harmony with god.”

Source: http://sapardanis.org/2016/04/24/the-advice-of-an-akkadian-father-to-his-son-2200-bc/

Decolonization of Trans Identity

I choose to decolonize my identity. I’m one of Inanna’s gala (𒍑𒆪). I do not wish to call myself trans any longer. Trans implies transition. It implies changing from one thing to another. I’ve always been gala. Being lied to and denied my true identity doesn’t make that deception true. As such, there’s nothing to transition from. It’s been a process of making this me into the real me. Not transition; correction. Reconstruction into something beautiful, something that was always there just buried under lies and false ideas of what constitutes reality. Stop trying to tell me I’m male-to-female. I was always female. I’ve never been male. That was only lies and deception they put on me. That was never me, that was them. To tell me I was ever male is to lie to my face.
~Vanessa