Why did I puss out?

[Michelle James]

Ok for those of you who don't know I have been en femme a lot lately. Most all of the time in fact. At least for the last couple of months. I am out and about everywhere. Shopping, dinner, lunch, running errands, etc. I thought I was totally without fear, at least until today. I dressed this morning as usual ladies jeans (sorry Karren) cute top, tennies, and of course wig and forms. i ran a few errands and did some grocery shopping and on the way home I noticed I had a flat tire on my 1995 Ford Windster POS van. I came home and fired up the compressor and put air in the tire. I went in the house to let the dogs out and "go out" myself if you know what I mean. When I went back out the tire was still losing air. So I had to take it to Discount tire to be repaired. AND I CHICKENED OUT!!!!! I went back inside and stripped off the makeup, jumped into some boy clothes, put on gloves to cover the difficult to remove gel polish on my nails, and headed to Discount tire. About half way there I said outloud to myself "what the f%&k am I doing?" I have been pissed at myself ever since and am unable to come up with a reasonable explanation why I did that.

Please sombody tell me this has happened to you

please

[Kaz]

You entered the realm of "men" rather than "everyone"... Many women are really intimidated by garages and mechanics... it is a male world. I guess your instincts kicked in!

[Michelle James]

You entered the realm of "men" rather than "everyone"... Many women are really intimidated by garages and mechanics... it is a male world. I guess your instincts kicked in!

Thinking about it you are probably right. Even as a man I was intimidated by all male environments.

[Karren H]

You won't find me enfemme where there is grease and big guys with tire irons either. Especially in womens jeans!!

[Christy_M]

i was dressed all day for a long drive stopping at rest areas and generally feeling good about myself until i stopped for dinner at a tg friendly place. i sat in my car for 45 minutes before droving off hungry. i felt like a cowardly punk. i guess we still have a ways to go before we are totally comfortable. you seem so much closer to it than me. congratulations on being out so much.

[RADER]

O' Come on Karren; live a little. Jeans once in a while are OK. Especially when it real cold outside. Rader

[sherri]

Sure, I've chickened out many times -- but I've often stuck to my guns too. The odds are very high that they would have solved your tire problem and sent you on your way with no issues, much like any other customer; however, the odds are equally high that you would have created a stir and been talked about after you left, and not necessarily in a good way. Fact of life. I guess it depends on your threshold -- if your comfort zone stops at being the butt of whispered jokes, then you made the right decision. If you draw that the line at confrontation, then you should brave it out the next time something comes up.

[Michelle James]

i was dressed all day for a long drive stopping at rest areas and generally feeling good about myself until i stopped for dinner at a tg friendly place. i sat in my car for 45 minutes before droving off hungry. i felt like a cowardly punk. i guess we still have a ways to go before we are totally comfortable. you seem so much closer to it than me. congratulations on being out so much.

That is exactly how I felt. I seem to have no trouble at all interacting with women (reasonable ones anyway). Come to think of it I have had very little contact with men one on one as Michelle.(except for the occaisional waiter) I need to push that envelope and see what will really happen.

You won't find me enfemme where there is grease and big guys with tire irons either. Especially in womens jeans!!

If you ever see my fat ass in a skirt you just might rethink your position on womens jeans. Thinking of buying jeggings. LOL

[Missy Tanya]

You entered the realm of "men" rather than "everyone"... Many women are really intimidated by garages and mechanics... it is a male world. I guess your instincts kicked in!

OK, now you have to get over it, some Mechanics dress pretty at time too!!! I personally know of one. He he

You won't find me enfemme where there is grease and big guys with tire irons either. Especially in womens jeans!!

Now I'm upset, a little, who you calling big?? And a little grease can go along ways, helps with sliding tight shoes on. The only Irons I've got in my tool box are golfing irons. So see we Greasy, Big-o-Guys might not be soo intimidating with the grease removed from under our nails and some lipstick applied..wink, wink!!

If you ever see my fat ass in a skirt you just might rethink your position on womens jeans. Thinking of buying jeggings. LOL

One fat ass to another, jeans are just fine, my fat ass looks better than most fat womans behinds.. And you don't want to see me working over the fender of a car in a skirt, take my word for it.. rofl...

Tanya

[Jorja]

Ah yes, the tire shop again. The mighty land of testosterone crazed maniacs who beat thier customers with tire irons. And no, I am not sorry Karren, I look great in jeans . We all have our comfort zones and yours is evidently not the garage. So now you have something to work on. One day it will be nothing for you to go there and you will laugh at yourself for chickening out this time.

[TxKimberly]

Well, all I can tell you is that I travel as Kim by airlines.
I go to dinner in countless cities across the US and Canada.
I go shopping through all of the major malls on the continent.
Sounds brave and bold don't it? Here's the thing though - even after all of that, and all of the years I've had to grow immune to the fear, I still have days where I just can't bear it and stay holed up in my hotel. As a matter of fact, I'm going through one of those periods this very moment.
In other words, I figure it's pretty normal for your confidence to come and go. Don't worry about it - soon you will feel cocky and confident and be out there again!

[Megan70]

Thinking about it you are probably right. Even as a man I was intimidated by all male environments.

I'd do same as you sweet thing.I go out dressed to do errands all the time, but garage repair stores and tires and muffler service stations with front counters and guys in blue shirts and grease on their hands with their ear on the phone ordering parts.... sure would have spooked me in advance too. Thats one place I would not go en femme, but I've been to Home Depot and Lowe's big Box stores in casual en femme and gone through checkout without any hesitation.
Grease monkeys... no.!

Megan

[Tricia Lee]

I had a "chicken little" moment just tonight.

Left work early and changed in my car to do a few errands. One was, my wife asked me to pick up a bra for her at Victoria's Secret. She didn't know I was going to do it enfemme. She knows I dress, but doesn't like it.

I planned to stop by the wig shop at the mall while I was at it, and try to find a new wig.

I walked in the mall and approached the shop. One of the shop owners, who is a guy, was at the front desk. The woman who has cut my hair a few times while in drab was sitting there too. They know about me, and he has seen me there enfemme before.

I still just chickened out and didn't go in

But I did recover with a visit to the VS. First time I've bought anything there enfemme, so that was progress. The girl at the checkout was friendly about it and we chatted for a moment before I left.

Happens to the best of us I guess BTW, I think I look OK, and generally pass from any sort of distance. In the cramped VS I don't think I was passing at all, but everything went OK.

[shannonsilk]

I have bravely )or stupidly) gone to the oil change place a couple times in girl mode. Not only is it a MALE environment, but there are also people with a lot of time on their hands waiting for their cars. It is possible. Give it a try.

[Pythos]

Lately I have been chickening out too. I really really think it is to do with current culture we are in. I don't know, it seems we have stepped back instead of forward.

[MargaretJ]

I've never shopped en femme, but don't have any problem buying clothes, make up etc, but for some reason I have been very self concious about buying shoes. Perhaps the easiest girly thing to buy and never had a problem in the past. It hasn't actually stopped me buying any, but I get a bit embarrased at the check out some times.

[Donna June]

Don't be so hard on yourself. A lot of us have never been out en femme. It sounds like, overall, you are doing great.

[JohnH]

I have gone to auto parts stores wearing denim skirts, and no one pays attention. I have also helped a neighbor work on vehicles while wearing a denim skirt and painted fingernails and toenails. In fact, there were a bunch of guys trying to figure out how to take a bearing off a wheel so that the bearings could be repacked. I had the experience so I was able to pry the bearing off with a screwdriver without any problems. One of the other guys said,"Maybe we need to wear skirts to do that!". Another guy said "F*** you!"

I was wearing a standard T shirt at the time and had no makeup on. However, I do have long hair. I was simply a dude not trying to pass as a woman.

[Suzette Muguet de Mai]

There are some places that I am thankful for my "guy"mode and workshops, machine shops, wreckers are some places I avoid like the plague in girl mode. Even as a guy in some of these places can be confronting, especially if the place is a meeting place for neanderthals. I know I have faced many confrontations at a physical level just because some ape did not like my "guy" look. I don't think you "pussed" out, I think you were wise and the testosterone kicked in and saved you from possible depression if attended in "girl" mode.

[JohnH]

I guess no place intimidates me particularly in totally guy mode - I guess my voice is a little intimidating - the speaking pitch is something like Joe Friday of Dragnet but not as raspy, and when I yell I can make the whole block hear me when I'm outside.

When I was wearing my denim skirt I would describe myself as partially in guy mode.

John