btw I love the phrase "eating all the frownies" lmao. So using that.
I know you're right Jessica. I think quite often about how for whatever reason, I never used the skills I had during my first coming out (about liking women) during my second coming out (as trans). When I came out as a lesbian, I actually really surprised myself. Within just a few months, I went from this timid little mouse to not giving one single solitary crap what anyone else thought of me. I know I saw a few people from school, who knew me for 10+ years, who didn't recognize me because of my change in demeanour. When I told them who I was, they openly said they didn't know who I was because they couldn't believe that the quiet kid who sat in the corner all of a sudden was like...happy and confident. And if people were ignorant, I really had no issue handling it, I just had this fight in me.
But I've been out as trans for over 4 years ago and it seems like my transition just wants to kick my teeth in.