Class Reunion?

Image from UnSplash

Have you ever attended a class reunion as your new transgender self?

I haven't and don't plan on going to one now, so I haven't. In fact, several years ago, I resisted a temptation to accept an invitation to my fiftieth year high school reunion. I had several reasons for hiding out and not attending the reunion. 

The main reason was, I didn't particularly have many friends when I was in school. I just had transferred into the school and had a difficult time making any sort of real friends since I was so shy. I was especially backwards around girls and didn't have my first date until well into my junior year. So I didn't have anyone I really wanted to see after all the time which had went by. I felt if the overwhelmingly majority, of the students I went to school with back in the day didn't want to deal with me in school, why would they want to deal with me now.

Another main factor in me not going to the reunion was I didn't want to be viewed as some sort of a side show since I figured I would be the only transgender participant who attended. Plus my Mom was a very popular teacher at the school I went to, so I was afraid more of the people who attended the reunion would remember me for her and not the other way around. And as far as those who would be possibly wowed at the change in me would be few and far between because (as I said) they didn't remember anyhow. 

I was fortunate the committee which was set up to try and find all of my classmates ended up doing a terrible job locating me. In the smallish medium sized town I lived in, I owned and operated my own restaurant plus managed one of the biggest/most popular chain food locations in town for years. Along the way also, I was president of a well known civic organization which hosted many events and the committee couldn't  even "find" me. They even placed ads in the local newspaper looking for me among the others who hadn't signed up to attend. 

To make a long story short, I didn't see going to a class reunion was worth  outing myself to a group of people I did not really know. The potential transgender day of visibility was not going to happen. Not on that day at least.

Potentially, if I live that long, I will be invited again to other milestone high school class reunions. We will see at the time if my thoughts towards going will change at all. I doubt it because I still carry the grudges with me towards my former classmates, If they did not not want to know me then, why would they want to know me now... Transgender or not. 

Friday Night Puns

As the national holiday for cross dressers everywhere rapidly approaches (Halloween), I hope you have your costume ideas all together. I remember the extreme stress I went through. First and foremost, I wanted to try to come up with a costume idea similar to what a cis woman would wear. Then, I had to try to come up with a date I could be free so I could attend some sort of a party.

I worked in the restaurant business, so most of the time it meant working all weekends. Plus, getting all dolled up cross dressed for work was out of the question. After all I had my macho image to protect, primarily because of the white redneck kitchen crews I had to manage. One of the prime reasons I don't have more Halloween stories to share.

Also, not all of the experiences were positive. I remember the times when the high heels I wore killed my feet. Or for some reason the few parties I wasn't accepted well at. The times I was touched inappropriately come to mind too. I guess I learned the hard way what cis women go through when they dress a certain way.

But all in all, the good times out numbered the bad. Including the experience I shared about the politician and his wife.  Here is where the "puns" come in. Compliments of Connie (of course):


"Maybe it was the politician's wife who was more interested? Or, a ménage à trois that could lead to a raucous in the caucus? Or, something profunda in the rotunda? A congressional confessional? :-)"   Probably all of the above!

Before Liz and I go out tonight to a Halloween party at a local venue we are close to, I thought I would share a picture of both of us. Taken last winter. Maybe I will have a picture taken tonight if I think about it.

Also thanks to Connie for the political puns!

Liz and Jessie selfie taken last winter in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio

All Hallow Back in the Day

This one goes wayyyyy back in the day:

" I won't tell you how many years ago this occurred . Only that I had a decidedly better figure! It was "back in the day" when a Halloween party was a rare coming out event. I believe as a transgendered person you can only do one party with the same people before they start to gossip. If you care. I got an invite to a classic party in an old Victorian mansion in one of the town's historic districts. At the door was an antique coffin with a very real skeleton observing the guests. My first wife (who figured that some day I was going to take off and be a girl full time) didn't much care I was going to the party with a female co-worker-dressed like a complete tramp. Halloween is a great time for genetic and TG females to strut their stuff. (Who do they think they are kidding?) Shaved legs, heels, micro mini dress and long blond hair pretty much described my outfit. When we arrived, I pretty much didn't say much and I found that a lot of the guests didn't really know I wasn't as I appeared to be. I was in heaven! Later in the evening, a couple did approach me to tell me how good I looked and didn't know the truth initially and did I want to go with them to another party? Reluctantly I had to turn them down. My ride was with my co-worker and I thought it would be rude to do that to her. The couple left and I asked the hosts who they were. It turns out he was a very new politician who was running for a state representative seat. As the years went by, he went to Washington and became a very powerful congressman. I've often wondered how deep the attraction was that night and did I destroy my chance for a job in the capital or even a "tell all" book? Let's see: "Monica and Cyrsti" A Life Under The Desk! lol"