Something unexpected

[+ Charlie]

This wouldn't fit in the long "Travel sex stories" thread, because there was no sex involved; instead, it's a "travel gender" story. A few days ago I spent a night in Fort Stockton, a small town (pop. 8000) spread out on the windswept plains of west Texas. When I called the hotel, a familiar national chain, to make the reservation, the desk clerk ("Aaron") sounded like a pleasant young man with a possibly gay vibe. When I got to Fort Stockton, I managed to get lost trying to find the hotel (I had the wrong exit number from the Interstate), so I phoned the desk and got "Aaron" again. I stayed on the phone while he guided me through twists and turns to the hotel. When I arrived and approached the desk, I was confused: "Aaron" appeared to me, based on hair styling and clothing choices, to be a woman! Was "Aaron" transitioning, and if so, in which direction? From his/her/their friendly interactions with other staff, I also had the impression that "Aaron" was new on the job, and the co-workers were very friendly and helpful toward him/her/them. When I saw "Aaron" the next day--his long black hair pulled back in a bun and wearing what looked like ballet slippers--I was still confused: was "he" simply a very effeminate young man with a deep voice? I wasn't about to ask.

I would not have been at all surprised to have encountered such an employee in NYC or L.A., but in the ultra-conservative rural heartland, where the majority of the hotel's clientele seemed to be pretty rough-looking truckers and ranchers, I didn't expect to find such an exotic character as the public face of a business. I found it very heart-warming.

[Guest]

Maybe you misheard the name, and her name is Erin?

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Erin Moriarty (born June 24, 1994) is an American actress. She portrays Starlight in The Boys. New York City-born Erin Moriarty launched her acting career in a way many...

 

[+ Charlie]

9 hours ago, Unicorn said:

Maybe you misheard the name, and her name is Erin?

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Erin Moriarty (born June 24, 1994) is an American actress. She portrays Starlight in The Boys. New York City-born Erin Moriarty launched her acting career in a way many...

 

The nametag he/she/they was wearing said AARON.

[mike carey]

38 minutes ago, Charlie said:

The nametag he/she/they was wearing said AARON.

Well, that's something of a give-away!

[wsc]

I, too, stayed in Fort Stockton once, many years ago, traveling from Houston to Los Angeles to change jobs. When I handed my AMEX Gold Card to the desk clerk, he said something like, "Well, aren't we fancy?" So "sophisticated" does not spring immediately to mind when thinking about the place. I wish Aaron the best of luck there, but have to wonder why someone of his proclivities -whatever they may be- would choose to live in a place like that.

BTW, after leaving Houston that morning my goal was to see the Texas state line in my rearview mirror. But after 10 hours of driving and seeing El Paso was still three hours away, I pulled off I-10 at Fort Stockton. Damn big state!

[+ azdr0710]

42 minutes ago, wsc said:

 my goal was to see the Texas state line in my rearview mirror.

 

yup, I feel a song coming on.....

 

 

[+ Charlie]

55 minutes ago, wsc said:

I, too, stayed in Fort Stockton once, many years ago, traveling from Houston to Los Angeles to change jobs. When I handed my AMEX Gold Card to the desk clerk, he said something like, "Well, aren't we fancy?" So "sophisticated" does not spring immediately to mind when thinking about the place. I wish Aaron the best of luck there, but have to wonder why someone of his proclivities -whatever they may be- would choose to live in a place like that.

BTW, after leaving Houston that morning my goal was to see the Texas state line in my rearview mirror. But after 10 hours of driving and seeing El Paso was still three hours away, I pulled off I-10 at Fort Stockton. Damn big state!

At least one can drive 80mph most of the way on I-10 across the state, but we still spent the better part of two days to get from Austin through El Paso because of stretches of "road work." Aaron made no comment about my AMEX Gold Card.

My first partner was born and raised in west Texas, and decamped for the east coast as soon as he discovered he liked opera and men more than hillbilly music and women. Aaron seems more determined to stick it out on the plains.

[Beancounter]

I don’t know why but this thread reminded me of the movie “Come back to the 5 and dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean” set in Marfa, TX…a town not too far from Fort Stockton.   
 

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming…Aaron in Fort Stockton. 

[wsc]

1 hour ago, Charlie said:

At least one can drive 80mph most of the way on I-10 across the state, but we still spent the better part of two days to get from Austin through El Paso because of stretches of "road work." Aaron made no comment about my AMEX Gold Card.

My first partner was born and raised in west Texas, and decamped for the east coast as soon as he discovered he liked opera and men more than hillbilly music and women. Aaron seems more determined to stick it out on the plains.

Vive la difference!

[Luv2play]

I remember when the speed limits across the US were 55mph after the oil shocks in the 1970's. It was brutal driving on the Interstate highways. It seemed you were crawling. 

Now of course near large cities it's sometimes hard to hit that speed in a sustained way even if the limit is much higher.

[ICTJOCK]

Interesting experience.   Glad it made you think and you talked about it here.   I have seen several men transitioning to women,  the last being at Petsmart.    I always make never to stare and never act like anything is out of the ordinary in any way.    I always tell myself that I need to improve my understanding and never to react in any way,  except in an open and friendly way.

[+ nycman]

On 7/29/2023 at 2:54 PM, wsc said:

Damn big state!

Damn right it is!

[+ José Soplanucas]

On 7/29/2023 at 2:54 PM, wsc said:

but have to wonder why someone of his proclivities -whatever they may be- would choose to live in a place like that

Because not everyone has the privilege to choose where to live, I love this story. It makes me more confident and hopeful about how trans visibility will work, just as gay visibility did. 

I also love the OP. The way @Charliedives into his confusion with love and joy and without labeling or discomfort is heartwarming. 

[mike carey]

2 hours ago, nycman said:

Damn right it is!

Is that the Chilean flag?

[Guest]

3 hours ago, mike carey said:

Is that the Chilean flag?

In the eloquent words of the late Senator Ted Stevens:

 

[dbar123]

When we drove cross country back in 2021 the only place where we met a mtf transitioning person was in Hailey Idaho. 

[+ tassojunior]

On 7/29/2023 at 12:46 AM, Charlie said:

This wouldn't fit in the long "Travel sex stories" thread, because there was no sex involved; instead, it's a "travel gender" story. A few days ago I spent a night in Fort Stockton, a small town (pop. 8000) spread out on the windswept plains of west Texas. When I called the hotel, a familiar national chain, to make the reservation, the desk clerk ("Aaron") sounded like a pleasant young man with a possibly gay vibe. When I got to Fort Stockton, I managed to get lost trying to find the hotel (I had the wrong exit number from the Interstate), so I phoned the desk and got "Aaron" again. I stayed on the phone while he guided me through twists and turns to the hotel. When I arrived and approached the desk, I was confused: "Aaron" appeared to me, based on hair styling and clothing choices, to be a woman! Was "Aaron" transitioning, and if so, in which direction? From his/her/their friendly interactions with other staff, I also had the impression that "Aaron" was new on the job, and the co-workers were very friendly and helpful toward him/her/them. When I saw "Aaron" the next day--his long black hair pulled back in a bun and wearing what looked like ballet slippers--I was still confused: was "he" simply a very effeminate young man with a deep voice? I wasn't about to ask.

I would not have been at all surprised to have encountered such an employee in NYC or L.A., but in the ultra-conservative rural heartland, where the majority of the hotel's clientele seemed to be pretty rough-looking truckers and ranchers, I didn't expect to find such an exotic character as the public face of a business. I found it very heart-warming.

Our perpetual elitist assumptions about the peasant class. In fact they racially intermarry much more and have to deal with each other more on a personal basis than those who can choose their surroundings and associates more easily. Egalitarianism of necessity.