The Practice Job (Part 6)

I really did consider the store to be my 'happy place'. I would go in when it wasn't my shift. I spent more money there than I made.

Oh, here is one useful thing I used the store for.

I went 'Full Time' on a Monday and my FFS was scheduled for the following Monday. My basic philosophy was that everyone wouldn't have their imagination running wild while I was away for a few weeks recovering.

The Friday of that week, my Mother was coming down to care for me after FFS. She would also see me for the first time, ever.

There was a little stress involved that week (understatement warning).

So, back to Mom.

Mom was a bit worried about my life. I think she was worried that I was going to enter this fringe society and soon I would be jobless, and all my friends were in exactly the same position as me. I would not have any 'normal' friends (or at least any who weren't just making fun of me behind my back).

So I took Mom to the store.

I introduced her around.

I astounded her with the total normalcy of my life. I used the tone of my life to calm my Mother's fears.

It helped. It really, really did.

Knowing that you have a wide safety net is a huge help in getting others to support you. I think many people think that if they support your transition, they run the risk of being your sole emotional support.

That scares people.

Spread it out.