THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY. START HERE. THE FIRST OF THE SERIES.

In this episode, Shay introduces her story by sharing some of the critical moments that helped define her childhood. To give her feelings context, she explains her journey through the concept of boxes. People use these boxes for many reasons. For classification, for protection, even to file things away we don’t understand.

Early on, Shay realized that she didn’t fit into the boxes that society put her in. She was different, and she wasn’t sure what that meant. Everyone around her thought she was going through a phase, but Shay knew that it was more than that. Society’s boxes on gender felt too confining. Find out how Shay worked through this in this intimate conversation with her friend and counsel, Jeremiah Dace.

Cast: Shay Potter, Jeremiah Dace

Key Themes:

• Boxes are common, but unhelpful ways to categorize things we don’t understand.
• Gender dysphoria can add to the confusion of puberty.
• Inner feelings are difficult to communicate, especially when they are not widely accepted.
• Parents must constantly be in-tune to their child’s emotional state.
• Deal with it. Compartmentalization has damaging long-term effects.

Best Quotes:

2:47 — “Boxes are all around us. We check them on applications, forms and all through our daily lives, especially when we classify ourselves into like groups. For example, am I male, or female? Gay, or straight? What if I’m neither? Can I be somewhere in between?”

12:28— “How do we get unstuck? How do we navigate the dark tunnels seemingly leading to nowhere? How do we stop feeling pulled, twisted and jerked around until we fit neatly within neat categories, groups, labels, yes boxes, we were never meant to fit into?”

16:25 — “Mentally, I am on both spectrums. I can fluidly move between both and that’s where I’m most comfortable.”

21:35 — “By the time I was in my 20’s I was trapped inside someone I didn’t even know.”

EPISODE 4 will be released on 15 Oct, the official release of the podcast!!

ALL NEW EPISODES will drop EVERY THURSDAY until the finale episode.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Deezer, or on your favorite podcast platform. 

Brought to you by Be Better Media, LLC. Visit our website.

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Crack This ShXt Open is narrated and produced by Shay Potter. Chelsea Sutton, creative director. Emma Cannady is our storytelling editor. Sound design and mix by Nathan Maghan. 

Music is Step In Step Out by Blue Dot Sessions and Life Illusions by Ketsa. Our theme song is by Blue Dot Sessions.

Special thanks to Jeremiah Dace. He encouraged me to share my story and pushed me to that end. 

Artwork by Aida Reluzco IG @unseeliebae

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BeBetterMedia)