Riding the Storm

Yesterday was one of those long days. I seemingly had something going on every hour on the hour.

First of all I had to make the hour trip to the Dayton/Springfield, Ohio area to take care of two VA appointments and do some much needed lawn work on my property.

I have a tendency to want to dress up a little bit more to go to my VA doctor appointments but simply couldn't with the work I had to do, so I had to let my makeup, hair etc carry the day.

It probably doesn't matter much except with my therapist who will mention my appearance, except to me of course and the confidence looking my best gives me.

Yesterday, outside of accomplishing what I wanted to do at the property, my stop at the VA hospital's coffee shop proved to be the most interesting. It seems, I have reached rock star status with the two women who run the shop on a regular basis. They always know my name and ask where have I been? Not wanting to be a total smart arse, I don't say roaming a hospital is not my fave sort of recreation! So I just said the truth, most of my appointments are built around Mental Health. The reason being is the Veterans Administration (while providing HRT transgender help) still channels all of it through Mental Health with an assist of an endocrinologist.

Without outing myself as transgender or bi-polar, I simply told them I was crazy, which for some reason they were entertained by. I must point out, there were no other patrons in line for all of this fun and games. Most importantly though, both of them didn't miss a beat with my pronoun usage. I was subjected to a liberal dose of "she and her" through the whole duration.

After finally getting my coffee, it was off to trans vet support group meeting time.

Nothing of real note happened there except a discussion of how difficult it was for some LGBT folks around the holidays who have been rejected by their families. In our small group, one transgender woman fits that mold and normally shares Thanksgiving dinner with a local LGBT group.

With that, the day was nearly over except for a "survival of the fittest" drive home through Dayton/Cincinnati rush hour traffic.

I am glad the day is over!

YAY! UPS!

Connie sent in this comment:

1. "Well, I dusted off my old hiking boots and laced them up this morning. Not that I was planning on hiking, mind you. It just so happens that, yesterday, I learned I will soon have a reason to wear them. So, I figured I should get used to them now.
   
   The boots are a requirement for the job I interviewed for yesterday. I hate the look of them, but I'm probably going to hate more the brown uniform I will be issued on Wednesday. No, I'm not joining the US Army, but I will be working for UPS - at least through the holidays. There is nothing glamorous about delivering packages, but this doesn't really bother me at all. I'm confident that my femininity will shine through!
   
   I have to say that the interview was nothing short of amazing. This is but the second corporation that has even granted me an interview (the other was Kroger) from my application and resume. Within the first ten minutes, the young man from HR told me that I was just the kind of person they were looking for, and that he was going to put me through to orientation next week. Really? I'm 66-years-old, partially disabled, and (in case it wasn't apparent) a trans woman. The interview continued for another half-hour, and I asked about possible promotion opportunities. He told me that he felt I was already qualified for some supervisory positions, and that he was willing to recommend me for one right away. Then, he detailed the special program UPS has for advancing women in the company. I told him that I was interested, but I would still like to "start at the bottom," if only to prove to myself that I can do the work (it's going to be a physical test, for sure). One of the male privileges I had in my youth was to play competitive sports. I learned to push myself to the limits, and to enjoy the process. It never made me feel like a real man, but it did feed my ego to know that I could overcome the odds. In fact, I must say that my whole transition has benefited from this attitude. And I know that, in the end, I will still be a woman - a stronger woman. It's not the lacing of the boots, nor is it the lace of my panties, that make me who I am. It's also great to know that somebody else saw who I was and is willing to give me the chance to show it.
   
   Now, this is a great place for my joke: What's the difference between UPS and SRS? With SRS, nobody complains about a lost package! :-)"

Congratulations! :) Always good to hear about employment for a transgender woman friend! (Or just a woman friend!)

What an uplifting letter as in "up-lifting" packages :).

Such a Week!

It was quite a week for the  LGBT community. In all, eight transgender candidates were elected including trans man Phillipe Cunningham in Minneapolis. Plus, in Canada a trans woman was elected mayor of a town.

Also, Frump's ban on transgender troops was shot down in another court.

In the past though, for every step forward we take, seemingly something else comes along to push back on us.

Jenner showing off her baby? bump?

As long as we keep taking giant steps though, the push back gets weaker and weaker.

Perhaps all the news about cis women everywhere being molested has helped push us to the back of t the headlines. Something trans women know all too well.

Supposedly, even
Caitlyn Jenner has finally renounced her support for Frump (the lead molester) as I imagine almost all transgender women will!