Bold & The Brave

By Joanna Jones

I think all of us start at the same level in our first “out in the public” experiences. I suppose it is the gas station first. Then the stores. Followed by the malls. Each time getting bolder as we move along our common path of cross-dressing. Jump ahead to the current time, and I don’t think there is anything that I have not done in public. It's all normal now. But like the rest of us oldtimers, that was not always the case.

Here are some of my highlights of those forgotten moments. Remember, these for me were always dares for myself. Each time getting more hooked on the euphoria of getting more aggressive.

I really liked in the old days getting into unrecoverable ventures. By that I mean once you crossed that doorway or threshold there was no turning back. You were stuck until the end of the ride. Ride? I do mean ride. I was all dressed up in Disney World. I made out of the car. I had on a frilly blue blouse with flowing shorts. This was before I wore wigs. From the car I had to stand in line for the monorail to the front gate. As soon as the doors of the train closed I was at that point of no return. The clickety-clack of my shoes really made my presence known. I stuck out like a sore thumb. Everyone else was in summer wear with tennis shoes. I got the stares. I got the laughs. I got everything that a crossdresser does not want. Back then I was really just a guy in a dress. No boobs too. I went on most of the rides. One of them as I was leaving the exit I heard the employees calling out if someone lost their wallet. Oh My God. Yes it was me! I had to walk back to retrieve it going against the grain of everyone else walking out. The stares were horrendous. My heart was pounding all the way. When leaving the park at the end of the day as I was heading off to the monorail back to the car I tripped on something. I heard behind me a lot of giggles. It was only then that the embarrassment overcame me. I actually did not go back on the monorail but walked the whole way on the outside sidewalk to the parking lot. That was a long and lonely walk back. If it had not been for the giggles of the girls behind me I would have left the park like everyone else.

Bottom line, I loved every minute of that venture. I guess it is really a cross-dressing “fix”.

Another time I got all dressed up for an auto train trip from Orlando to Washington DC with my car being hauled in the back of the train. I knew once I got to the terminal all dressed up there was no way of turning around. All of my boy clothes were in my car. And now the car was unavailable to me. The train ride lasted for 18 hours. I tried to sleep on the train, but my heart would not stop pounding of all the excitement.

These thrills were very different than going to the malls or store. There you can always just turn around and go back to the car. These adventures here in this story are one-way tickets with no getting off. It was a forced feminization onto myself. WOW!

The first time on a plane “flying pretty” too was a one-way trip. Once you got out of the car at the airport parking garage there was no turning back. The plane ticket costs were too high to just chicken out like in the past. Besides, I did not bring boy clothes with me. It's all or nothing.

Going on tours of things too is a way to force yourself into a situation that there is no turning back. Let's take Vegas for instance. Going to Hoover Dam for the tour. Once you get going there is no way to turn back. You have to finish the tour. Remember, I was not in just a "sort of girl look". I was always in a girly and frilly outfit with all the trimmings.

Year after year I would be going near that dam and see the helicopter tours. I don’t know how many times I was all dressed up heading out to take the plunge only to chicken out. Well, of course that all changed years later when I finally got that helicopter ride over the dam. Those pictures are in my vacation photo stream here on my website.

Well, those were the exciting days of yesteryears. Now when I go out it is not a dare type thing. It's just normal living. For you, younger dressers, enjoy yourself and your own dares. It truly is so exhilarating. Perhaps it is that rush that makes us who were are.