Grace

Pardon my ignorance, cube dwellers. I'm just gonna put it out there today.

I come from a small town. I was sheltered beyond your comprehension during my formative years. So there will always be a part of me that is shocked, at least initially, by things that aren't as plain and simple as Wonder Bread.

There is a person in Cube City that I often see walking to and from our building's deli. I've always thought of her as incredibly tall and slim, with the type of physique so many girls would love to have. I've also thought of her as having a somewhat strange, almost lumbering, gait. The girl ain't graceful, but I'm not either. I guess it's just more noticeable when you're incredibly tall and slim.

Today, I came face to face with her for the first time. Well, okay, she's incredibly tall, so I had to crane my neck, but I had problems masking my surprise when I realized that she is transgendered. I wasn't expecting that, and I'm embarrassed by my ignorance. As I observed her, I was curious to know if she's had full or partial surgery, if she's taking a lot of hormones, and how she handles the pressures of Cube City on top of it all. My guess is that she handles it all a lot more gracefully than she walks. I don't envy her tough walk through this life, but I can tell you this: I'd kill for her hips.