An Unexpected Transitional Change in Reading Taste

[rhonda13000]

Indeed.

I was in the doctor's office waiting room today, waiting to be seen.

I read a book on linguistics that I carried in my purse for a while; after a bit, I finished the work and sought other fare for reading.

This doctor is a plastic surgeon and accordingly, had a stack of women's and beauty magazines on the waiting room table.

So, I picked up a copy of "Allure" and began to scan through it casually.

But then I found myself literally studying this magazine, analyzing and mentally 'cataloging' beauty tips, hairstyles, fashions, "how this would look on me", etc.

After a moment I caught myself, realizing that I had become utterly absorbed into a BEAUTY magazine.

This sets a precedent in a big way; I have never treated a beauty magazine before in half of a century of life, with anything other than the most casual interest.

Utterly fascinating, this process and journey called 'transition'.

[Melissa]

Hmm, I'm kind of the opposite.  I started looking at those when I began transition, but now I rarely look at them.  they are usually filled with things I can't afford and women I wouldn't be able to ever measure up to.  Plus I'm pretty good at figuring out how to look a certain way.

Melissa

[rhonda13000]

It's reminiscent of a time much earlier in transition when I was walking through Target one day.

I think that I had gone there to buy a phone card (BoostMobile) and while I was walking down the aisle adjacent to the women's clothing, I found myself scanning the racks and mentally cataloging these at high speed, as I passed by on my way to the Electronics section of the store.

This was pretty much automatic and 'involuntary'.

Funny stuff.

[Melissa]

Hehe, sounds almost robotic.

Melissa

[TheBattler]

It's reminiscent of a time much earlier in transition when I was walking through Target one day.

I think that I had gone there to buy a phone card (BoostMobile) and while I was walking down the aisle adjacent to the women's clothing, I found myself scanning the racks and mentally cataloging these at high speed, as I passed by on my way to the Electronics section of the store.

This was pretty much automatic and 'involuntary'.

Funny stuff.

Sound like something I do every time I go into a store. I look at the feminine clothes and sometimes just have to go closer to see if they would fit me.

Aice

[Suzy]

It is funny, I find myself reading and listening to a lot of Janet Evanovich novels lately.  They are definitely a lot of fun and meant for a female audience.

Kristi

[Brianna]

My casual enjoyment of Star Trek has droped to overwhelming apathy. As for reading tastes, there are a lot of my old favorites like Shogun that I now find insanely boring. I always read girly girl things before and after transition - IE Meg Cabot.

Brilala

[LostInTime]

I have read beauty magazines all of my life but recently I find myself reading more vampire/magic fantasy books rather than the usual sci fi fare. 

[Steph]

Sadly reading is no longer one of the things I do anymore.  I used to be an avid reader of SiFi, but no longer.  I buy and read through the odd beauty magazine to see what's new and current, and although I will never be able to afford the fashions dispayed I can always creat the same look with more affordable clothing.  Actually that's what makes shopping fun.

Steph

[Annie]

Having an ill spouse, I spend a lot of time in the waiting rooms of various doctor offices or the dialysis clinic, and it's just second nature for me to pick up a fashion magazine and flip though, picking out cute slacks, tops or heels that I think might suit me well.  When I hid from my wife, I would glance over and look at the magazines, wanting to flip, but excercising self-control.  But since revealing myself to her, I feel quite comfortable with it.  When we're waiting together, we often chat about the cuteness factor of certain sling-backs or boots.  That always makes me smile, even if I have to keep it just between her and I at this point in my life.

[Kate]

Oh yes, I had subscriptions to Cosmo and Glamour back in my twenties and early thirties. The changing styles were fun to watch, but I liked the new product tips a lot... always something new and cool to try. I was always on this quest for the perfect matte foundation (my skin was SO oily before HRT) and skin products.

They even had neat articles now and then. I actually first heard about AIS in a Comso article.

Best of all though were the interviews with really cool, inspiring women I admired and looked up to... such as I could anyway, being, ya know, MALE

Otherwise, my book collection is all of magic, faeries, wicca, lucid dreaming (Castaneda mostly), witchcraft, paganism, gardening, flowers... that sorta stuff. I'm really pretty nuts, overall. But it works for me.

These days, I'm too busy torturing you all on here to read much though, lol...

Kate

[Omika]

No!

I...  I refuse to let go of my love for sci-fi.  I don't want HRT to change my brain like that.  I just want to feel right.  I just want to, you know...  feel like I'm not in a cage. 

This thread frightens me.  It makes HRT sound less like an alignment of body and mind and more like brainwashing.  I'm scared.  Aieeee!

We'll see how I turn out, I suppose.

~ Blair

[Melissa]

Blair, in terms of my likes, there really have been very few changes.  If you love sci-fi, then you'll probably still love sci-fi.  The last I knew is reading had nothing to do with your gender.  However, living in a new gender role, one may feel more comfortable looking at things they felt uncomfortable looking at before.

Melissa

[Bracha]

I used to love The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.  And the sequels.  I thought Mordant's Need, also by Donaldson, was good, but not up to the same standard.  The Covenant books had a huge effect on me when I was a teenager.

But a few years ago, I tried rereading the Covenant books, and I just didn't really have the patience for Covenant any more.  And when I went to reread Mordant's Need, I was absolutely transported.  I assume that transition had something to do with it.  I identify more with Terisa than I do with Thomas Covenant.

Also, I've had a little bit of a shift in terms of left-brain right-brain stuff.  I always forget which is which.  I've never been grossly out of balance between them.  My math SAT scores were higher than my verbal scores both times, but never by all that much.  And they're still pretty much around the same, but I think a little more towards the verbal at this point.  I'd rather write than program, for instance, which is unusual for me.

[Melissa]

Also, I've had a little bit of a shift in terms of left-brain right-brain stuff.  I always forget which is which.

Left is Logical.  Right is aRtistic.

Melissa

[Omika]

I used to love The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.  And the sequels.  I thought Mordant's Need, also by Donaldson, was good, but not up to the same standard.  The Covenant books had a huge effect on me when I was a teenager.

But a few years ago, I tried rereading the Covenant books, and I just didn't really have the patience for Covenant any more.  And when I went to reread Mordant's Need, I was absolutely transported.  I assume that transition had something to do with it.  I identify more with Terisa than I do with Thomas Covenant.

Also, I've had a little bit of a shift in terms of left-brain right-brain stuff.  I always forget which is which.  I've never been grossly out of balance between them.  My math SAT scores were higher than my verbal scores both times, but never by all that much.  And they're still pretty much around the same, but I think a little more towards the verbal at this point.  I'd rather write than program, for instance, which is unusual for me.

Ho ho hooo.

Well, I've always been artistic, creative, and full of whimsy.  I love poetry and fiction and romance (just not most mainstream romance novels) and drawing and all that right brained stuff.  I -hate- math with a burning, intense, flaming, incredible passion.  I'm soldiering through my last math requirements this semester.  I must do it, so I never have to do it again!  Ever!  Ha!  HA HA!

Wait, that doesn't mean HRT is going to turn me into a mathematician, does it?  Oh God.  Here come the irrational HRT brainwashing fears again.  *slaps self*

~ Blair

[Melissa]

Wait, that doesn't mean HRT is going to turn me into a mathematician, does it?  Oh God.  Here come the irrational HRT brainwashing fears again.

Nah, it's only imaginary.

Melissa

[Bracha]

Also, I've had a little bit of a shift in terms of left-brain right-brain stuff.  I always forget which is which.

Left is Logical.  Right is aRtistic.

Melissa

Cool!  That's helpful.