"Ma'am" and the Woman on the Phone

[Guest Rose]

Today I got a wrong call. Someone was trying to contact what I took to be the HR department of an unnamed company. The reason I picked up the call at all was that it appeared on my phone as from Pennsylvania. My grandparents live there, and they are the only people who call me form that state besides my mother. So I picked up thinking that my grandparents were calling me about an email I had sent them over some Thanksgiving drama, but instead it was a stranger asking about if I was in such and such department. So I told her I wasn't, and when she asked what department I was in, I told her that I am a college student in Maryland. With that she apologized and hung up, but first she called me ma'am. I had not said anything pertaining to my gender at all, not even my name, but she thought I was female!

At my college all freshmen are required to be a part of the chorus. This is not for any religious reason, the school is thoroughly secular, but rather so that the freshmen will be prepared for the music classes we take in sophomore year. the school's objective is to provide a very all-round education, and music is a major part of that. so I know from my time in the chorus that I am tenor, and a relatively high tenor at that. Although in middle school it seemed that my voice would become quite deep, it changed before the rest of my classmates, it seems that I have actually ended up naturally in the space between male and female. I count myself as very lucky in this respect.

I have been out as trans at my college for nearly a month now, and presenting too. I have not faced any discrimination here, much to my surprise. I only had to remind people about names for the first week or so. Since then I have gone through most of the social aspects of transition–smoothly. So people have been telling me, when I ask, that my voice is passable. I did not entirely believe them until now, but if a random stranger on the phone thinks I am naturally female, then I take that as solid proof. I am really happy!

[Cyndee]

I'd call that validation and success.

Good for you Rose

Hugs

Cyndi -

[Charlize]

Thanks for the great story and for the update.  it sounds like college is going very well.  Enjoy.  The work is important as well but being yourself at the same time must be magical.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[Carolyn Marie]

Thanks for sharing that story, Rose.  Passing in phone conversations was the hardest "test" for me, so if you are doing well at it, I congratulate you.  You are doing very well.

HUGS

Carolyn Marie

[tracy_j]

Sounds good Rose, in more ways than one

Tracy x

 

[StephanieVikingGirl]

Congrats on getting ma'amed on the phone, that is the ultimate test.  Feminine ways of speaking is noticed even more than the pitch in my experience, but having a melodic tone helps too.  You are indeed very lucky on voice, I am too.

I am glad to hear that college life in Maryland is accepting.

Stephanie