a you can do it!! story..(longish)

[Kaitlyn Michele]

So girls....this is what i did yesterday... i got dressed in a very chic but casual outfit ....open toe slingbacks...no hose...felt great

i drove from philly area to baltimore area and spent a couple hours in a hair replacement center getting styled and fitted for a new wig....it was so much fun and a very funny thing happend....

the guy doing my hair color kept telling me to go darker..and be careful about matching eyebrows....so a stylist walked by and i pulled her over and asked what she thought....and she picked lighter colors for me, which is what i wanted.....another female coworker stopped by and she also picked the lighter colors .i was happy and i told the man that i wanted the lighter colors and i commented to the girls that marty was reallly adamant about going darker...

anyway....thats when the stylist touched my hand and said .."michele...we all know that men have no clue about what women want" and then all the girls cracked up and my colorist just clammed up and went with the flow

I know that's alot of detail but i have to say those girls were soooo nice to me by including me and treating me that way

I won't forget it because i have never felt so much like "one of the girls" as at that moment...it was wonderful!!!!!!!!!

so i ordered 2 wigs and they styled my current one and i left feeling sooo nice and confident...then i drove by an outdoor mall and i saw a yankee candle store...i lovvvvee candles.....so i pull over and also decide i need a coffee for the ride home...so i pulled in and walked around...lots and lots of people shopping..it was a gorgeous day!!!...so into candle store, they are on sale...2 salesgirls help me and i buy 40 bucks of candles for 22 dollars!! YAY!.....salesgirl was about 25 yrs old and she said have a great day maam!!....again i just felt so nice ....i really was out doing stuff and being dressed at the same time...it was so natural to me and so much fun
its much for fun shopping as a woman!

then to get the coffee...into barnes and noble.... tons of people...had to wait in line....and get served by teenage boy!!!....you know what he did??? nothing...he was bored out his skull like all teenage boys and acted like a slow robot...so that's it then i drove home...

here's the point!!!! i have fantasized my whole life....MY WHOLE LIFE!! :heehee:....about being a woman and being one of the girls...and about 3 years ago i was scared to even go outside...i had done some late night walks and walked around hotel parking lots...but really hadnt gone out

by the way
i am not passable...(but maybe i'm cute...LOL)..i am 6 foot 2 inches tall...
i posted a pic of yesterday in the picture gallery

but since i just decided to really do what i want (which means to really spend quality time feeling this wonderful way i feel when i dress)
i have done things i never ever ever thought i would be able to do...things that i wanted to do so badly and just didnt have the courage to a.) admit it to myself... b.) do something about it.

it was really by reading posts from girls on this forum that started me thinking that way.. and i hope that some of the people recently finding this forum can really read all the wonderful posts on these boards and the stories ....

so if you want to get out there and do stuff...pls just have fun and do it...YOU CAN DO IT IF I CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.i know you are out there and maybe one day we'll bump into each at macy's!!!!

have fun
michele

[sara_also]

A great post Michele.
It just proves what confidence will do for us. Sounds like a great time you had.
Keep posting like this and I am sure others will follow, just as you have done.

[Di]

Wonderful Michele loved reading your post:hugs:love your attitude:thumbsup:

[Frankie-Dear]

Wonderful!! Congratulations!! Sounds like you had a stellar day! :hugs:

[Mitch23]

Brilliant - well done girl - and I'm 6'2" and I pass to 99% of people!

Mitch

[DianaGomez]

Brilliant - well done girl - and I'm 6'2" and I pass to 99% of people!

Mitch
I can well believe that if you always look like your avatar sweetie! Beautiful!

[SherriePall]

Michele -- Good for you, hun. Sounds like an extremely wonderful day you had. Thanks for sharing the story (and pics).

[emily<3]

wow grats.
i wish i could go out like that..
i still live with my parents and its too hard for me to do stuff like that without them finding out.


o and i dont have any cloths of my own yet.

[Joy Carter]

Michele if you feel a tap on your shoulder when your out like that it would be me.:D

[Holly]

Michele, you're the reason some of us more, ah, "seasoned" members hang around here. Your post was nothing short of a blessing to me. You've been encouraged and now you've "Paid It Forwaard" so to speak. Trust me, Michele, the words that you wrote will inspire someone who is just like you were those short three years ago. This is for you... :hugs:

[angelfire]

Wow, that sounds like a great day. Makes me want to go out more and more, but I still definitely don't have to guts to do that. Or the wardrobe :heehee:

[paulaN]

That is way cool. I am so glad that you are doing things "out", the things you only dreamed of not long ago. I was out last winter and I had a blast. I wrote about it here. Anyway! Reading stuff like your post helps a lot of us to, just do it. Be confident and do it. Have fun with it!!!!! life is way to short. great post Michele.

[Phoebe Reece]

Great story Michelle, and great advice for everyone. I am 6'-0" in stocking feet myself and am constantly amazed at being able to pass most of the time myself. You just have to go out with confidence and be dressed not too far out from the mainstream and the vast majority of people will treat you as the way you are presenting.

[JoAnnDallas]

Michelle.....A few weeks ago, I had the chance to get all dressed up in a new outfit I had bought. I was dressed and went to a Shell station to fill up the SUV. After I filled up, I deciede to see if I could walk into the station store and buy something. I did it. I bought a bottle of water and no one yelled TRANNY or made any negitive remarks. In fact I got at least 4 "Maams". I was so thrilled, that the next two evenings I did the same thing at differenct convience stores. In one store I even had to even stand in line. Then my confidence level was so high, the next day, I went to a Payless Shoe store, miggled with customer, used my fem voice, tried on shoes, and bought a pair of 2.5" slingbacks.
Someone told me that if you look presentable, don't dress to attract attention, and most importantly act like you do it everyday, you will not have a problem and most people will not take any notice of you.

Congrads, btw, you will now find this addictive....LOL

[shannonsilk]

I am so glad it worked out for you. That is a wonderful story. I notice that unless people really look from 2 or 3 ftt away they don't notice. Only up close do i get "looks". but they're still wonderin'

[AllieSF]

Great post Michelle. It really is liberating to be out and around. I couldn't do that locally, but get a few miles between me and my home turf and I get that who cares feeling (most of the time - LOL). Yesterday, I too did just that. However, my goal was to a safe haven at San Francisco LGBT Pride parade and festivities. I decided that I did not want to fight traffic and parking, so I took BART, the local train/subway system here. I drove to a distant station and got on board. I was a lttle nervous, but after I got there I felt great and really enjoyed the day. So, congratulations on your outing and may there be many more.