Remembering a beginning outing

[Anita]

Hi All—
I’m living in San Francisco now, after living across the bay from it for 30-some years. It’s a great adventure, and I’m having fun exploring the city.
Today I was driving down Mission Street, which is one of the big commercial streets in the Mission district. There’s a CD boutique called Foxy Lady down there, and I was remembering my one trip to it, years ago.

I was a new gal, maybe out for my third daytime venture. That was a weird day. I’d been fine on the other two outings, no particular notice paid to me. But that morning was different. An older woman walked past me, and did a double-take. I’d never actually seen one in real life—only in cartoons! Someone else laughed as they went by in a truck; one of only five times that’s happened, (but I remember all of them.) Another woman smiled knowingly when I walked by. What was going on?

I never found out, but I had a decision to make. I needed some item of clothing for a show that week, and San Francisco was where the boutiques were. Was I going to make the trip, still dressed? For whatever reason, I decided to do it. Given my track record that morning, it’s amazing that I went for it. I must have really, really wanted to get in some femme time.

Parking is a big hassle in SF, everywhere you go. I knew I’d never find anything for my truck near the store, so I decided I could walk six blocks or so. That was a mistake. Blocks in the Mission district are about twice as long as any other in the city at that point, and I had on heels. (Of course I did—what new CD goes out in less than 2” heels?)

I set out, in the hot sun, heels, hot wig, and who knows what else. The neighborhood is Hispanic, and a gringa CD attracts a lot of attention. “Hey Chica! Muy Bonita!” was the only thing I recognized, but there were catcalls and whistles going on all along the way. I was only halfway there, and I thought I was going to have to start walking in hose!

I was also remembering an old joke—they've taking a spy out to be executed, and it’s pouring rain. The spy says, “What beasts you are! To take a man out to be hanged in such weather!” The guard on his right says, “Hey, buddy, we gotta walk back in this!” Well, I had to walk back in this, too, and I wasn’t looking forward to it.

I don’t even know what I bought that day. It was all new and different, out shopping with such a different appearance than anything I’d ever known. It was still exciting, even when it wasn’t going as well as I might have liked.
I don’t think I’ve ever been read as consistently as I was that day, and it was like getting bonked over the head constantly. I wondered if I’d just stop doing it if the hassle got too much. For about three months I questioned myself, whether I’d “give up” if it got too rough. It never did, and I never even thought of stopping after that.

[Elizabeth]

Hi Anita,

Here is a post from my first time out.

http://crossdressers-forum.com/forums/v ... ght=#29446

Love always,
Elizabeth

[Anita]

Wow, Elizabeth, 'way back in ought-four, when you were just a new gal taking her place in the big world. It is such a big deal, going out for the first few times. I don't think there's anything that prepares you for doing that; at least, nothing in my life prepared me for it. I had acted in several plays, and I guess that's the closest I came to it--playing a different role.

But to cross genders is a different kind of 'act' entirely. I had no way of knowing if the sky would suddenly fall in if I did this. That's one reason why members of my support group go over to a local restaurant after the meeting. It gives first-time girls a sense of group protection for what is a very novel experience. You and I didn't have that, and it all worked out anyway.