Long, long ago in a misspent youth far away I was at one of those Life Crossroads we all know and love. I was a young field scientist, living alone in a strange city, working hard, teaching. I was trying and succeeding at all the right things. People told me I was great. No doubt I was lonely from few friends in a new place and my long hours. But inside I was struggling AGAIN with youthful identity issues. I'd dabbled in dressing up, mom's makeup, etc. as a kid. Now, as a young professional in the world, I started underdressing and slowly added femme items to my personal look.
One day I saw a green dress on the winter rack at a Dillards. Don't know why. The dress fascinated me. The green. The color. The cut. The length. I'd never bought a dress for myself, and the forethought never quite occurred to me to buy one. But I couldn't get that dress off my mind, and resolved when I returned from visiting The Folks during the holidays, I would buy that dress and begin living as a woman in my non-work hours.
Over the holiday, magic happened. I met the woman who would be my beautiful and loving wife of almost 40 yrs now. It happened like a lightning strike; almost like an Intervention. Meant to be, and no regrets that Life helped me on THAT Life Choice.
My predilection towards women's clothing never resided, however. I never forgot that green dress; the one I almost chose over a life with the Wife.
I saw that green dress again. Yesterday. At a Macy's store, I was shopping with the SO (who knows now and has helped me buy clothes). There it was, like an dream from the past, a ghost.
I've been on a clothes spree so I didn't grab it off the rack on this shopping trip.
I'm going back... I can't help it.
HOW MANY "SUFFER" , maybe gladly?, from dress obsession and how do you deal with it?
