Pleasantly Surprised

I feel like every time I sit down to write my mind has a million other things that take away from what I want to write about. I never mean for it to go a week or more, and I sure have plenty of things to write about but it seems lately that the days are so busy that life slips away from me. Before I know it is bedtime for the kiddo and then for me and it seems as though I should be able to get a lot done once she is in bed at 7:30 or 8pm but that’s not what happens. I generally take a long sigh of relief and start to lose all steam left in my body. At least that is how this last week has felt.

Speaking of this last week I have been pleasantly surprised by a few different encounters I have had. So none of my neighbors at the house I live in with my partner know I am trans, well I never told them. On one side of us are some Christians who seemed very stiff and republican and not friendly to me thus far so I just didn’t feel the need to share with them. I figured I didn’t care what they think (which I don’t) so they would figure it out or they wouldn’t but since I don’t see them a lot it was no big deal. Then there is the sweet old lady across the street whose husband passed away recently. In fact he had been sick for some time and turns out he passed away when I was in San Francisco for surgery and so I never knew. He passed two days after my surgery and when we got home I was not seeing him but he had been so sick I figured he was house bound. This week she told me that he passed, and I felt bad and while clearly I have changed I didn’t feel that the time to talk to her about it. She is wonderful though, her name is Phyllis but we call her Pete.  Then there is Larry, the guy next to Pete…nice guy too and probably the one I talk to most but he is a little odd. We never ever see his wife but we know he has one. He drives an old cop car with deep black tinted windows and the spotlight still on but he works maintenance for a local school. Anyway nice but odd guy and he even still calls me by my old name from across the street when I come over or pull in, so I need to talk to him.

So this last week the weather was FABULOUS at the end of the week and we have some projects that are dying to get done so I started on one (which turned out to be much longer and harder than expected but oh well). So I spent most of Thursday and Friday out in the front yard, in shorts and a t-shirt. There was no hiding my transition at that point. First I saw the woman next door, who I can never seem to remember her name but I can remember her husband who I don’t really like much. Anyway she has never remembered mine either, so she said hi and asked my name again and I told her and that I had changed it. She was super friendly and never said a word about it. I also saw Pete a couple times but didn’t feel right bringing it up so I just let it be, and we talked and chatted through out the days because she would be out gardening and watching me work my butt off getting dirty and sweaty in the baking sun. Anyway so late on Friday I picked up Addie and went back to the house and there they were standing on the sidewalk together talking! My most uncomfortable nightmare but of course they wanted to say hi to Addie and I can’t resist a sweet old person, especially Pete and now knowing she is alone. So we went over and chatted for a good while, and at one point the lady next door referred to me as “she” and then quickly and without incident corrected herself and the conversation went on without another thing said out of place or about it. She is defiantly the housewife type who watches daytime talk shows I am sure so I would be willing to bet she has seen something about Chaz Bono lately. Anyway I was pleasantly surprised by my level of interaction with them and the acceptance I got from them. It really just went to confirm what I have been experiencing a lot of lately and that is simply that underestimate people. I think that the bad reactions I have had, (and some were pretty extreme) really left me assuming that everyone who is a Republican (which I am almost positive they both are) is going to shun me, or rather who is a Christian. It was an interesting experience, I am learning that the more I am comfortable with myself and confident but not arrogant the better the world receives me.

I have a lot more to say on various topics but I will end with this since it is late and I am tired and have mounds of overdue homework to do tomorrow. I am very happy with the changes I am still seeing as a result of “T” that I have now been on over 5 months. I am starting to get a few little chest hairs that are clearly what I was hoping NOT to get. Oh well, not a whole lot I can do about it. Still trying to work out in some fashion most days but I am going to step it up here. I am still a wimp and can’t give myself my own shots, but my partner is awesome and continues to help me out and give them to me in my butt…, which sometimes really hurts. I am regaining a lot of feeling in my chest already, which makes me thrilled! I also actually have enough facial hair to shave every day, although still mostly just on my chin and in that area but slowly moving outward onto my face more. Finally I am discovering that the feeling of two-day-old stubble is not something I like, it itches.