At Least I Didn’t Blame It On The Dog…

Ed. Note: Renee was supposed to be with us last Monday but her deadline came and went without a new blog. Of course as the editor I had to contact her and see what was up. As it turns out she does have a good excuse (first day at work as a woman) so we think we’ll keep her. It starts out like this…

I missed my deadline last week. My excuse: Holy crap have I been busy. Read on and judge for yourself…

Monday, August 18th

This is the big day: Day 1 of my on-the-job transition! I work for a major Midwest retailer called Meijer; I’m a corporate auditor of sorts with two stores under my supervision. And not only is this my first day presenting female, but the stores are brand new to me too…Human Resources worked that out, so I could enter into the workplace sans pre-existing relationships or expectations. It’s a good situation, but a lot of “new” to have to adapt to all at once.

I visit both stores this day; the second one especially seems geeked about my arrival, as people are practically tripping over each other to get some face time with me. It’s a bit of a circus, but overall very positive. It’s dream-like really; I’ve spent so much time imaging a day like this but thinking it was impossible, to be living it is the very definition of surreal. I find myself walking by the dairy coolers a lot, seeking a glimpse of my reflection in the glass as a way of reassuring that yes, this is really happening.

Tuesday, August 19th

The excitement of the second day on the job is overshadowed by some extremely important work that needs to be done. In general, things seem to be going well though. I share an office with store security, and meet the one female working there. She’s super-cool and right off the bat says to me, “It’s going to be nice having more women than men here for a change.” That makes me feel good.

This is the first day of doing actual work, and it’s almost as surreal as yesterday. Already there are moments I’m so immersed in what I’m doing, I forget anything has changed in the last twenty-four hours. Then I’ll be walking by the dairy cooler and catch my reflection, and it’s like, “Oh yeah…”

Wednesday, August 20th

All hell breaks loose at one of my stores, as the very important work from the day before is completely hosed by the actions of a few. Which only makes more work for me, of course. Also, I have my first run-in with an employee who insists on calling me “sir”. It’s a frustrating encounter and I realize I have to come up with a good way of resolving such conflicts.

I visit my other store, thinking a change of scenery will do me good, but the craziness there is even more extreme. I meet the token female security person at this store too and lo and behold, she tells me, “It’s sure going to be nice having another woman around here for a change.” Hmmm, seems like a trend…

Thursday, August 21st

I’m taking a few planned days off from work to visit my family with my sister and her two children. Should be a nice vacation from what has so far been a fairly crazy week, right? Not quite. No one in the family, apart from my sister, has been re-acquainted with the new me yet. The week of firsts continues.

Friday, August 22nd

So far, so good with my parents. They’re struggling with names and pronouns a bit, but making a legitimate effort. Yesterday, for the first half hour or so, my dad had trouble making eye contact with me; I didn’t know if was the makeup or what, but since then he’s been great. He even offered to fund a trip to the salon to get my hair colored…he heard me bitching about my grey, I think. I take him up on it too; I didn’t get to be Daddy’s Little Girl growing up, so who am I to deprive him of the opportunity to spoil me now! 😉

One especially cute thing happened today: While I was at the salon, my six year old niece freaked out a little. She apparently kept asking, “When is Aunt Renee coming home,” and “Are we going to see her again?” It’s nice to be loved.

Saturday, August 23rd

At breakfast with my family, I encounter an old babysitter of mine. This is the person who tried to seduce me when I was only twelve. She apparently recognizes me, much to my chagrin. It’s a supremely uncomfortable moment.

In the afternoon, we visit my grandfather and his wife. It takes my grandfather a good hour or more to make eye contact, or even to speak to me. When he does though, he makes up for lost time. We talk about everything, old and new, and it’s all good. As for his wife, she’s a truly lovely women, and as it turns out, this trans thing isn’t new to her at all: she has a nephew who used to be her niece!

Sunday, August 24th

We came home this morning, but life is unforgiving. After unpacking I realized I needed a few things. On my way home from the store, the alternator gives out on my jalopy. Fortunately, I have a friend who’s a mechanic. Unfortunately, after he’s looked at it he tells me it’s not just the alternator, but the battery and the serpentine belt. It’s going to take a day and $350 to get it back on the road. Looks like I’m taking tomorrow off too…oh well, at least I’ll be able to sleep in past 7 a. m. for the first time in a long time.

Monday, August 25th

My deadline has come and gone for TGForum. I e-mail Angela and beg for forgiveness. Thankfully, she is a merciful editor.

And there you have it…a quickie synopsis of perhaps the most important week in my life thus far. I have more to tell; there’s already been a whole second week on the job, with interesting (and not altogether good) developments. If gory details are your thing, you can always check out my personal blog. Otherwise, we’ll see what develops here in about thirty days…

Category: Transgender Body & Soul