My Dinner With M

I wanted to post this several weeks ago, but for various reasons, it's been put on the back burner.

Until now. :c)

(Brief pause while everyone moves near their fainting couch)

OK. Hope everyone has recovered from the excitement.

As I mentioned previously, I finally got together with my friend M for dinner several Saturdays ago.

It was the first time we had seen each other since the beginning of last September.

Or as M dubbed them, "the happiest eight months of [his] life." :c)

(It's actually a really great feeling to know he treats me exactly the same now as he did pre-transition. lol)

Follow along below the fold!


We finally worked out that we actually got together two days before I collapsed at work.

I was astounded to realize it had been that long; it felt as if we had met fairly recently.

No such calamity struck this night, fortunately. :c)

We met at a favorite restaurant, close to M's old home, and spent most of the meal simply catching up on the various goings-on in our professional lives.

M landed a terrific job last summer at the company where he wanted to work. He did so through a combination of hard work, out-of-the-box thinking, and, most of all, determination. And now, quite rightly, he is reaping the rewards, both personally and professionally. It was gratifying to hear how well he is doing.

I told him a bit about my job, which, while far from ideal, is at least tolerable now. (For the time being, anyway - knock on wood!)

I mentioned that he was a mini-celebrity on my blog, and he asked why.

"Actually, I'm afraid to ask," he said, cringing. "I can only imagine what I said - it had to be something awful!"

So I reminded him of  a) when I came out to him, and b) his reaction after watching some transition videos on YouTube.

Laughing from embarrassment, he put his head on the table when I finished refreshing his memory, saying "God, I am such an a**hole."

A moment later he looked up.

"Typically this is when the other person reassures the speaker that everything is OK."

I nodded.

"I know."

A moment later we both burst out laughing. :c)

***

During a momentary lull as we waited for our coffee, M finally spoke.

"OK," he said with a smile, "I can't hold out any longer."

"I talked with T & J recently, and they told me you've changed - a lot. And that I should be prepared.

"I didn't really know what to expect, to be honest.

"I knew you would be different... but I'm still amazed at *how* different you are.

"You look *so* different. And your voice is really different, too. It's obvious you've been working hard on it.

"I can totally see how someone who doesn't know you would take you for a girl, even without makeup.

"It's more than that, though. You're... feminine. The way you move, the way you carry yourself... you're a woman.

"But that's not really what I'm trying to say. Even though you *are* all of those things. I can't really put it into words.

"It's not that you're being feminine... you're just being yourself.

"You aren't thinking about how to move, or how to act... you're just being.

"Not that you weren't before... but you're so different now from how you were, even in September. It's obvious how comfortable you are about yourself now.

"And... you're happy now. You were never, ever happy before, for as long as I've known you. I can see that now. And it makes me sad, to think I never knew and could have helped you.

"But it's obvious to me now that you're really happy. It sure is great to see.

"I'm really, really happy for you. If anyone deserves to be happy, you do.

"It's amazing to watch you become the person you were always supposed to be. I can't wait 'til you're full-time. We all feel the same way."

I had to sit for a moment to absorb all of that.

"M... I really don't know what to say. Thank you so much.

"That means more than you can know, believe me.

"But... I'm still not paying for dinner."

He shrugged.

"Eh... it was worth a shot."

It's *also* a really great feeling to know I can treat M exactly the same now as *I* did pre-transition. :-p

Life is good.

:c)

***

Here's another great song about friendship, to go along with the Carole King gem I posted a few days ago:

You really can't go wrong with Randy Newman *and* Lyle Lovett, can you? :c)