If you have read my prior article, “I learned something that Halloween” you will be familiar with the context of this article, when I was 5 years old (https://www.crossdresserheaven.com/i-learned-something-that-halloween/).  That Halloween I became the heartbroken tutued ballerina that never was. Somewhere in the intervening years, completely unaware of how deeply I longed for girlhood, mom somehow decided I should go trick or treating as a woman – and old grandmother-type frumpy woman. Ridiculed to be sure I again was heartbroken.

But in costume, I was a woman, wasn’t I? True, I was. But I wasn’t ready to be a woman at that age; I was 8 or 9-year-old girl. Couldn’t I just dress up as a princess or Alice in Wonderland or a ballerina or if I had to be an Indian, couldn’t I be Pocahontas? No! it was wrong for a boy to be a girl, but there was no problem with a boy being grandma.

Time moved on. Playing in the garage one day with some friends we found a box of clothes. And there it was, an average plain brown skirt, but for me it was like a hidden treasure found. Quietly over my pants I slipped into it and finally paraded in front of my friends announcing, “look, everyone, I am a girl, I am a girl” in falsetto. As I remember it, I was serious. I thought somehow with a skirt on everyone would see the girl I knew I was.

Mockery and derision, humiliation and hurt locked me away that day.

EnFemme Style

I was kept in solitary confinement. Male me was determined that since boys can’t be girls and when you try to be so humiliation was the reward, it is best that I be forgotten. Forgotten perhaps, but I was determined to live nevertheless.

Eighth graders had the privilege of sitting in the back of the grade school bus. So there he sat with the eighth-grade girls. And there within the walls of my prison, I heard their conversation.

As girls become young women they talk about their new bras, their experience with pantyhose, how to do their make up –  and boys. He grew quiet, but I was determined to make a break, so I pressed him. Ha, he may have forgotten me, but that day he knew I was still alive.

And to my surprise, he talked. Nothing too revealing mind you, but in a timid teasing sort of way, much like a puppy might do timidly getting used to his new owner, he entered the conversation. Just a little making-fun-of-them quip about wearing pantyhose and how he too was looking forward to his first bra. The girls laughed and teased back, completely unaware of how much I really meant what I said, because all they could know was him. They were oblivious to the secret me he was hiding from them.

But that was enough. I was out of solitary; not out of prison mind you, but no longer abandoned and forgotten.

So I pressed and he relented, allowing me to dress secretly. Carefully and ever so guardedly I was given more freedom. I fondly remember my first bra, and girdle, and hose, and panties and lipstick. . . with each foray I was delighted and strengthened; he was anxious about the terror of being discovered.

EnFemme

One day he shocked me by asking his sisters when we were home alone if he could try on one of their bathing suits. Laughing and giggling they agreed and before I knew it I was one of the girls!

I was giddy with the joy of my freedom. Not just free, but free and accepted by other girls. I wasn’t humiliated or made fun of. No! I was complimented: “You look just like a girl.” Oh if they could only understand how much I felt just like a girl at that moment. . . that indeed I was a girl; I was one of them! Just like them; well in my heart at least.

As we lived out in the country with mom and dad gone and no one else around to see us, it was suggested that we go out and run in the sprinkler. I was elated; he was terrified. A battle ensued. He won and in a few minutes, I went from being a giddy pre-teen girl to once again being locked away with the promise that my sisters would never tell mom and dad about their brother really being a cute girl.

Over the last 50 years, he has given me time but never freedom. I have worn both a prom and homecoming dress as well as everyday dresses and outfits. I have persuaded him to even buy me my own clothes, lingerie, and breast forms. I have walked in heels, wore pantyhose on freshly shaven legs, as an amateur did my makeup, left my lip print on the rim of my coffee mug, underdressed to work, spritz on my favorite perfume and have known the bittersweet feeling of late night walks, with hips padded and my bustline creating an obvious feminine silhouette yet knowing it was just a masquerade. And sadly I have never been out in a dress.

To my chagrin, today my things are gone, victims of one of his purges. It has been a long wearisome road but I am still alive. No longer a girl, I have become a woman, a mature woman to be sure . . . and no! I will not embrace being a frumpy grandmotherly type woman. I know I can be better. Nothing wrong with grandmothers, like years ago on that fateful Halloween, I am just not ready to be one . . . no, not yet!

As I have done for so long I am waiting patiently for my release. And he is learning, finally understanding that I am not a bad shameful part of him, but rather an integral part of his whole. I am not to be locked away but to be embraced and incorporated and in so being I will make our shared life richer and fuller than he ever thought possible.

And so now his musing is no longer the question fraught with shame, “how could I do that?”
Rather now it is a question filled with inquiry, “How can I do that?”

And in that, I anticipate emancipation is coming.
I await my freedom and living!

En Femme Style

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Charlene Victoria

The most important bit to know about me is that I have a very strong Bible centered Christian faith. I filter everything in life through that faith. But OH MY!! I am without doubt undeniably transgendered. Have longed for all of my Christian life and before to simply be that girl (now woman) next door. Though she knew before we were married that I struggled accepting myself as a male, in June of 2020 we talked in honestly. I fully disclosed to my wife the depth of my female identification, explaining that my desire to dress was not simply to wear woman's clothes as a man, but it was because there is a heart felt need in this very tangible way to present outwardly who I am inside; a woman. I was completely unprepared for the love, acceptance, and support I have experienced from her. Balancing these two life realities into one effectively functioning person so that joy prevails for both of us is essence of my journey. Update: probably since October of 2020, the freedom in my feminine self expression caused my femininity to bleed into my male self. This I sense was making my wife uncomfortable. Though I regularly refer to my "gender brokenness" causing me discomfort in hopes that she might give the "green light" to more feminine expression I still sense she is yet comfortable with status quo so at this time my feminine expression is done quietly, low key, and aimed at her comfort not mine.

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Sarah Anne
Lady
5 years ago

I am sorry and I do not wish to seem rude but I am lost on this article. Sounds like a case of bi-polarism or multiple personality disorder.

Once again my apologies if I misunderstood the context of this article

Sarah Anne

skippy1965 Cynthia
Ambassador
Trusted Member
5 years ago
Reply to  Sarah Anne

Many folks see their feminine side as a ‘separate’ part of themselves. It can be difficult– if one has to remain closeted for various reasons– to get comfortable integrating every part of one self together. Soo-NO I don’t see this as multiple personality disorder-just a sadness that a part of oneself has to be hidden far too often.
Cyn

Gina Angelo
Ambassador
Active Member
5 years ago
Reply to  Sarah Anne

The first time I read it to edit, I was a bit lost with the switch between two people on the bus. I almost corrected it, thinking Charlene when referring the 8th grade boy in the back of the bus, was talking about another boy that she envied. Once I understood that the two people were one in the same, the whole piece came together for me and I was enthused. I have not had that feeling, I guess gender dysphoria is not part of Gina, but I appreciated the way in which Charlene described her emotions and experiences as… Read more »

Delbra Dawn cordry
Lady
5 years ago

Charlene i understand what u are saying could be me u are telling about . i too am two, people twins

skippy1965 Cynthia
Ambassador
Trusted Member
5 years ago

Charlene,
Great article-I think you will enjoy mine which i coming out in a few days-the parallels are similar but with some differences-for while Cyn was locked away she never purged. And she will never be locked away again-she stands with male me-visible even while in stealth mode.
Thanks for a great article!
Cyn

Janine7
Lady
Member
5 years ago

Charleene, I love your story it resonates so completely with my own experience. I wish that I had the courage to follow your example and just keep looking for the day when I can really declare my feminine self.

Deety
Member
Deety
5 years ago

An interesting point of view and a way of addressing the the dichotomy that we sometimes feel between our feelings and the reality of the world we inhabit. I feel you perhaps need to give greater credence to what that inner voice is telling you. You are both of those personalities and when you can accept that mix the path becomes clearer and you begin to realise that crossdressing and transgender are just two outward manifestations of something that lies deep within us all. as you accept soyou find freedom to become the complete and singular you.

Miss Cloe
Managing Ambassador
Member
5 years ago

Charlene, so many things in your article remind me of how I’ve felt over the years. I am a grandmother too, but that is not how they choose to address me currently. I can live with that as they’ve had an entire lifetime to know me as only the one person. But, I refuse to be frumpy anything. It is possible for him to learn and to let you live as one and to even learn to wear a dress in public. I know because I am Cloe now in the eyes of the law and of my employer and… Read more »

Carrie Lynn
Lady
Member
5 years ago

Charlene, that is a powerful story. I appreciate you sharing your feelings. Maybe because my wife and I refer to Carrie as a different person when I am in boy-mode I got your reference. We do it out of convenience if there is a question whether we are referring to me as male or female. I read in your profile that you have broached the subject with your wife. You and I are about the same age it appears. For my first 59 years I could not accept or love myself, so how could I expect anyone else to accept… Read more »

Shari Newman
Lady
Member
5 years ago

I felt the same way growing up, now that both my parents are gone, I can dress any time I like, but still can’t go out dressed.

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