Being transgender, you have to learn life lessons quickly. Many things women learn over a lifetime I have to learn in months. Last week, I had to take a friend to the hospital for out patience surgery and I waited around all day at the hospital. At lunchtime, I went down to the cafeteria to eat and as I went through the salad bar line, the guy behind me started talking to me. He asked me if anything in the salad bar look good today, I replied that it didn’t and we talked about the quality of the salad bar as we moved down the bar. After a while, I realized that he was flirting with me. That was a very strange realization, it is something that I have not gotten use to yet. It’s strange for two reasons, one, I am not use to strangers coming and talking to me and two; I am attracted to women.
Before I transitioned, it was very rare that a stranger man or woman would start a conversation with me. Now when I am in a checkout line at store, the clerk or someone in line will make a comment about an item that I am buying and it is something that I am just starting to get use to happening. I still do not know quite how to respond when a women complements me about the clothes that I am wearing. I do not know if I should say anything besides thanking them or saying where I bought the clothes.
These are just a few of the things that I never learned while growing up.
It is a bit like landing in a foreign country with a poor and out of date phrase book, what chance of being mistaken for a native? With only observation and often no body to coach we have a life time of living and experience missing.
ReplyDeleteSome challenge!
Caroline.
Interesting. I guess I must take it for granted, the generalities that come with being a gender. What a great thought to ponder.
ReplyDeleteIt's weird, but I guess my mother never taught me that kind of thing either because I've always been terrible with it. I have to be hit over the head to "get it'. Besides, I'm rarely flirted with by women. Sigh. ;)
ReplyDelete