JamieG
09-19-2010, 10:03 PM
So I took another step today, I went out for drinks with a group of girls from one of the TG support groups I attend. They always go out after meetings and have repeatedly asked me to join them. In the past I've politely declined due to fears by both my wife and I that I'll be outed. However, over the last few months, I had slowly changed my mind, and was working up to broach the subject with her. Here's how it happened...
So after not getting to be Jamie for two months, I had planned to go to the meeting last night. Unfortunately, my wife was very sick, and if I went to the meeting, I'd be leaving her to feed the family, bathe the kids, and get them to bed all by herself. Not cool! I suggested I wouldn't go, and she said as long as she got to sleep during the day, she could handle an evening as a single parent. I knew she was just being nice, so I suggested instead that I stay home until the kids are in bed, and then head out to meet with everyone at the bar after the meeting was over. She thought this was a good idea and even told me how proud she was of me for having the courage to do it and embracing my CD side. Her words: "It takes a lot of balls to do what you do!" :-)
This put me in a good mood and I was looking forward to a wonderful night. I got my clothes packed for the trip, and headed to the bank to get some cash for the evening. Of course, what happens? My ATM card has expired and I only have $5 on my person. I immediately head home to see if I can find a new card in the mail. No luck. I scrounge up ~$25 from elsewhere in the house. That should be enough for tolls and cover charge; I'll put my drinks on my credit card. With this detour, an hour's drive to the location, and changing in a friend's motel room, I don't roll into the bar until 11:15am. The whole way down, I'm thinking maybe all of this was an omen that I was making a mistake by going out.
Fortunately, I didn't chicken out! Although, I was nervous as a friend and I made the 50 feet walk from the parking lot to the bar while a few "civilians" were out and about, I had a blast once we got inside. It was great to catch up with old friends (like Jenny J from this forum) and to make new ones. It was also nice to be able to talk to people over drinks; I found it more relaxed and casual than the group meetings (which are great, and very social, but alas no drinks harder than soda!). I was a little weirded out by the tranny chasers there, but fortunately none of them approached me. I was wearing my wedding band, so maybe that was what clued them in that I wasn't available. I stayed til the bar closed at 2am. What with having to go back to the motel to change for my drive home and a closed freeway that forced me to take a longer route, I didn't get home til 4:30am. Although it made for a long and tired day today, I have no regrets. I look forward to joining those wonderful ladies for drinks the next time I go to that meeting, although I think I'll have to get out of there well before 2am. I'm too old to be out that late! ;-)
So after not getting to be Jamie for two months, I had planned to go to the meeting last night. Unfortunately, my wife was very sick, and if I went to the meeting, I'd be leaving her to feed the family, bathe the kids, and get them to bed all by herself. Not cool! I suggested I wouldn't go, and she said as long as she got to sleep during the day, she could handle an evening as a single parent. I knew she was just being nice, so I suggested instead that I stay home until the kids are in bed, and then head out to meet with everyone at the bar after the meeting was over. She thought this was a good idea and even told me how proud she was of me for having the courage to do it and embracing my CD side. Her words: "It takes a lot of balls to do what you do!" :-)
This put me in a good mood and I was looking forward to a wonderful night. I got my clothes packed for the trip, and headed to the bank to get some cash for the evening. Of course, what happens? My ATM card has expired and I only have $5 on my person. I immediately head home to see if I can find a new card in the mail. No luck. I scrounge up ~$25 from elsewhere in the house. That should be enough for tolls and cover charge; I'll put my drinks on my credit card. With this detour, an hour's drive to the location, and changing in a friend's motel room, I don't roll into the bar until 11:15am. The whole way down, I'm thinking maybe all of this was an omen that I was making a mistake by going out.
Fortunately, I didn't chicken out! Although, I was nervous as a friend and I made the 50 feet walk from the parking lot to the bar while a few "civilians" were out and about, I had a blast once we got inside. It was great to catch up with old friends (like Jenny J from this forum) and to make new ones. It was also nice to be able to talk to people over drinks; I found it more relaxed and casual than the group meetings (which are great, and very social, but alas no drinks harder than soda!). I was a little weirded out by the tranny chasers there, but fortunately none of them approached me. I was wearing my wedding band, so maybe that was what clued them in that I wasn't available. I stayed til the bar closed at 2am. What with having to go back to the motel to change for my drive home and a closed freeway that forced me to take a longer route, I didn't get home til 4:30am. Although it made for a long and tired day today, I have no regrets. I look forward to joining those wonderful ladies for drinks the next time I go to that meeting, although I think I'll have to get out of there well before 2am. I'm too old to be out that late! ;-)