Shock and Awe

The question is how to break the news to those you deal with every day. How do you build up to the point of your transition being known?

Do you sneak more and more feminine things into your daily appearance? Do you eek out hints of your pending transition?

Or do you use 'shock and awe'? Do you suddenly show up to work one day in a skirt?

In the movie 'Normal' our protaganist tries the slow transformation approach. One day he wears earrings to work.

Was it a good idea?

There are advantages to either method - and disadvantages.

I think the solution is to keep it organic. I use the term organic in the sense of telling a story. Use what you have. In 'Unbreakable' the heroes costume isn't a leotard but instead is a poncho, that is used in its normal capacity to keep the rain off.

Avoid 'Deus ex Machina'. That is a term that is used to denote a bit of a suprise ending. The story procedes to an almost unintelligible tangle. At the end, clouds are lowered from the ceiling and the voice of God comes out and just 'fixes' everything - out of nowhere. (Deus Ex Machina literally means 'God as Machine').

Okay, back to organically transitioning. There are things you have to do, facades you have to leave behind. I say do it to an extent. Be true, don't put on a front. You don't have to tell everyone but let your self shine through.

You have to grow your hair out? Let it grow. You are taking hormones? Electrolysis? So be it.

What you don't want to get across is a bouncing back and forth. You can exude an air of instability. Try to avoid that.

Basically what I am saying is proceed to your goal. Don't force it.

(awaiting Alexandra's harp on voice in 5.....4....3...)