"Social engagements"... Yes, I suppose that's what they are. I have a social life! One more clue that I'm leaving the old INTJ life behind...
Last night's social engagement was a dinner event with a fun group of people, about 24 of us in total. Five of us wound up closing down the place, while we sat at table in freewheeling conversation that touched upon everything from sociology, anthropology, and economics to arson investigation!
This was a fascinating group of folks. Statistically, I would say that 18 of the folks fell somewhere under the transgender umbrella, 6 were family, 5 were well into a medical transition, and all but one had a femme presentation. Not all of the folks I identify as transgender accept that label, by the way. In conversation, several identified as being cross-dressers, and did not believe they were transgender. When I asked what drives them, they said that they felt better, more comfortable when dressed, and more in touch with their feminine side. I thought this was interesting in view of how we currently define transgender. I certainly won't push against someone's own self-identification!
Even with this wildly varying crowd, and most folks having NO voice work, or trying to shift pitch, there was no misgendering by the staff or others. It seems that the desire for a nice tip was sufficient to prevent any 'accidental' misgendering. It takes very little effort for others to take their cue and gender us correctly.
It's nice to be able to be out in public and enjoy a nice dinner with friends, without worrying about hostile or unaccepting actions by others, having to justify my existence to a casual acquaintance or a stranger, or being grilled about transgender issues when I just want to enjoy my dinner.
Actual down time with friends! Yay!
I behaved for dinner, with a nice chop salad, but then the dessert menu came out. Oh, apple crisp, my downfall. Um... Their 'apple crisp' was mostly a huge wedge of vanilla ice cream atop a passable crisp in a sort of ramiken. I did eat it, though. I blame the glass of wine. There's another 800 calories I didn't need. Oh, well. I'll know better next time. Perhaps I'll even resist.
Laurie, my 'homework' for that class is mostly worksheets, some meditation exercises, and some audio recordings to listen to. Hrmph! No, nothing on horizontal gymnastics, no new rope tricks...
Yes, I saw your recent road trip! Yay! I want to make a pass through Oregon and Washington to visit relatives in the Olympia area in spring, and perhaps some other folks in that region. Just me and my little friends in the Prius, along with my sleeping roll and a bag of Purina Badger Chow...