Happy Halloween all.
Growing up Halloween was always a cool holiday for me. I lived in the city and at the time it was pretty safe to go door to door trick or treating. In the span of a few blocks a kid could really clean up and have a years supply of treats, ok maybe not a years the way kids eats sweets.
One Halloween when I was about ten my best friend and I got the idea to dress up as girls and go trick or treating. My mom actually helped do my makeup and loaned me one of her wigs for the task. Like most people who have G.I.D that have that one Halloween, I've never ever forgotten it.
Sitting on the couch about a week ago I was thumbing through the local flyers in the paper and I came across a page of costumes. I showed it to Dee asking her what she wanted to be with a playful smile on my face. She naturally pointed to a sexy witch costume on the page.
When she asked me what I wanted to be, very straight faced I said how about Darth Vader. That was met with a bit of a scowl and a disapproving nod.. Ok I replied how about a cowboy? Her answer? You cant do that you're a girl silly. I looked at her with a bitter look and told her that it wasn't fair, the boys had the coolest costumes! She didn't know whether to take me seriously and hit, or just laugh or me.
FWIW yes it was in jest, just my crazy twisted humor coming back again to haunt her.
The weekend is almost here and another work week subtracted in the countdown to Nov 10th. I got a call from H.R. Tuesday afternoon asking me to stop in. When I did she asked how I was doing and if I was still planning on the 10th as a date. I told her that I'd probably never be ready but it has to happen. My stomach had been in knots over it.
She mentioned that she was going to be on vacation next week and needed to brief the managers that this was happening before she left so Tuesday word was leaked to managers. I've been on the edge of my seat since over it and not really heard much, so yesterday I dropped her an email asking if she followed though.
Hi ****,
Happy Thursday!
I was just wondering if you followed through with the managers on Tuesday like you had planned?
Thanks
Hi there,
Yes, I did speak with all of the managers in Methuen on Tuesday. All were attentive to the issue and assure me that their eyes and ears will be open and will take swift action should they need to. I also told **** *****, for obvious reasons. Deep down, the managers there are a good group of people and are supportive of you.
I plan to stop by the morning of 11/10 to see how you're holding up.
I guess I couldn't ask for better H.R people, they have all been great. In my 19 years with this company I have held a very good working relationship mixed with some personal friendship with some of these people. I did tell her in the meeting that I couldn't wish for a better group of people to have my back through this.
Not long ago or what seems not long ago when I first started the piece of advice I was given was that it was best to to a between job transition and start fresh where people didn't know. I can certainly see value in that but given the fact that I never seem to do anything the easy way I decided to stay put.
Karyn
3 comments:
Congrats on the process starting! It sounds like you're going to be just fine at your company. I know it's nerve-wracking, but with HR on board and your managers already supportive, that's an awesome start.
Nowadays, I think if you have a good job where it's possible to transition, that works best, not starting over. Things have changed for the better, not everywhere but in more places.
My Halloween remembrance is from much later, during the 1980s when I was playing in a band. I dressed as a girl, all in pink and black, even shaved my legs, although I wore tights. No falsies, my own spiky blond hair, and heavy-duty eye makeup. I looked like Amie Mann did at the time. At the party, I remember dancing with a couple of drunk guys who were mightily confused, because I looked pretty good.
However, my sweetie has never let me forget that I stretched out one of her favourite dresses so she could never wear it again. :)
This is my favorite blog yet! I can clearly see you and Dee going over the costumes and her disapproving.
I love it!
Growing up I would have been to scared to dress up like a girl, even for Halloween. As I got older, I did daydream about dressing up as a girl at work, but in my denial state just could not bring myself to do it. But if I did, it would have been a sexy witches outfit :)
Thank you for sharing your coming out process with your work. I will most likely be facing that soon, and plan on coming out at my current employer because of the same reasons you mentioned. I only hope I can get as favorable reactions as you have received.
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