Christian greetings!

 

Good news!  The sisterpaula.org website is up and running. 

 

Regarding the content of the tv programs, my former hairdresser once said to me: "People like hearing 'the adventures of Paula'", meaning stories of events, incidents, etc. of my life.  On a television program I made reference to that comment and said to the listeners:  "You know, if you were as anxious to hear the truths of the Word of God taught as you are to hear the 'dirt' about Sister Paula, you just might get your healing and get your prayers answered."  And while I most certainly do not renig on that comment, now that I am preparing to write my autobiography (just last week I signed a contract with a publisher), and now that I am doing podcasts, I am going to share just that -- "adventure" stories from my life experiences.  And a good place to start is right here and make some of these stories part of my email column.  These stories are, of course, copyrighted. 

 

On the audio podcast ADVENTURES OF PAULA series, there will be no prepared manuscript -- just me talking about experiences in my life.  (I often say that folk will know I am telling the truth inasmuch as no one could possibly make up these stories).  And so, between this column and the audio podcasts, and my writing once the loaned out laptop is up and running, we should be able to come up with a book that people will find interesting and enlightening. 

 

I will never forget my very first time of going out in public in female attire.  (The name "Paula" had not been coined yet although when a "young fairy" I had a feminine nickname of "Lola Mae".  We are talking about the early 1960's.  I was living in Oakland, California and became friends with Lori (male name Lloyd) who was aspiring to start living full time as a woman and eventually have sex change surgery.  Hat wigs were in vogue then. 

 

One night I called Lori and said "I am going out as a woman tonight" to which she responded:  "Well if you need somewhere to go, you can come over here."  I agreed.  I hung up the phone and thought: "Oh dear, what have I just done?"  Bear in mind, in those days a male out in public in female attire could be arrested.  Since then that has changed.  The only time that drags in public did not fear arrest was Halloween (masquerade parties) and perhaps New Years Eve. 

 

And so, knowing little about putting on makeup, my natural hair being in a male "crewcut" (which I loathed), I put on the black "hat wig" and out I went.  I took the bus to Lori's.  When it came time to return home I got on the bus.  The bus was empty and I sat in the back.  A few blocks down the line a man got on the bus and was talking to the bus driver.  I could not hear their conversation, however the bus driver turned around and seemed to look at me.  I sat there literally frozen in terror.  I pulled the stop cord and got off at the next stop, flagged down a taxi and took a cab the rest of the way home. 

 

I had charge accounts at both male and female clothing stores.  As time went on my female attire wardrobe was growing.  I purchased a real hair blonde wig.  Lori, by the way, was a hairdresser, and she set and combed out the wig. 

 

Soon, with Lori's help, I got better at putting on make up.  And, at any time that I visited her, used her toilet, and she would see that I had left the seat cover up, she would yell at me.  I adjusted to putting the toilet seat down and do that to this very day.  It's funny -- how some of one's habits living as one gender have to change when the person starts living in the other gender. 

 

Neither Lori or I were living full time as women yet -- however, we both started going out socially in female attire.   One night, while visiting, Lori said to me: "If you are going to live as a woman, we need to come up with a suitable name.  'Lola Mae' has got to go!  The radio was on, and a popular song of the time "Hey Paula" was being sung.  I said to Lori, "how about the name 'Paula'"?  She looked at me and said: "You look like a 'Paula'".  The next day when visiting with Lori in her kitchen  I started talking about applying for a Social Security number under a feminine identity.  Lori said:  "Use the name 'Paula Nielsen'".  Right then and there "Paula": was born.  I got the new Social Security number and on May 1, 1963 (just 24 years of age) Lori helped me move my things out of the apartment where I was living as Larry, and I moved in with her and her roommate Rodger. All male attire was left behind.   That night "Larry" died and all of my identification, personal business, etc., became Paula -- and has been Paula ever since. 

 

Backing up -- about a month prior to making the transition from Larry to Paula, I attended First Assembly of God church in Oakland, California.  Even though my identity had changed, my one-on-one with Jesus Christ had not changed.  I attended there for a short period of time prior to moving to San Francisco.  My picture was taken for the church directory.  Attending that Pentecostal church as Paula, where no one knew I had ever been anyone else -- FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I KNEW WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE ACCEPTED IN HETEREOSEXUAL CIRCLES.  As a teenager named Larry I was tolerated in evangelical circles, albeit in a friendly way. 

 

That first Sunday I attended the Assembly of God church under the identity of Paula remains strong in my memory to this very day.  A very nice middle age lady saw me as a new person at the church and invited me into her home after church to have dinner with her family. She was married and had children (I don't recall how many).  As I recall her mother was there also.  As she went into the bedroom to change from dressy church clothes to more casual attire, she invited me to join her.  She proceeded to undress in front of me, casually chatting just like she would with any woman, and changed her clothes.  That was the first time a woman had ever changed clothes in front of me. While it did seem strange, I was not at all uncomfortable with that inasmuch as, psychologically, I am a hetereosexual woman.  Therefore, her changing in front of me is really no different than if I were a biological woman. 

 

That's it for now.  More to follow. 

 

And always remember, there's someone who loves you, who is with you whenever you pray.  That One is Jesus Christ, seated at the right hand of God, ever living to make intercession for us; the One who understands are cares.  Know that! 

 

                                                                                     -- SISTER PAULA NIELSEN