Today was a day that I spent Gallery sitting for Arts Westchester. I was told in advance to bring a book, as not that many people would be visiting the gallery on a weekday. So I was prepared for a boring day, which it was for the first hour or so. And then, an occasional person or two visited the center, giving me a chance to talk with people and keep myself busy.
But first....
I had set my alarms to get me up early, and they worked their magic as desired. However, not having enough sleep the night before, it took me a while to get moving. After doing my daily routine, I was able to get out the door by 11 am - just enough time for me to make it to the gallery by noon.
Just as the clock struck 12 (to use an old expression), the heavy metal outside doors to the gallery started opening. But the lady in charge had a hard time opening the doors, as they were rubbing against the bottom of the door frame. (Both WD-40 on the hinges and wax on the door frame might help, and I suggested this to the person in charge of the gallery.) The lady (who I will leave unnamed) showed me around, and I started my shift at the gallery.
During the day, several people came in to visit the gallery, and one of them bought a coupe of scarfs. Another said that she wants to bring her small meetup group there soon. But this was not all. A woman from one of my meetup groups came by to do her volunteer shift a couple of floors above me, and we chatted for a few minutes. It seemed like "old home week" at times, as I also met another person who was part of the Arts Westchester volunteer program.
Finally, it was time to close things out for the day. Women had responded to me as if I were a cisgender woman, and that's the way I liked it. The more I get practice interacting with cisgender woman as a woman, the less I'll worry about my remaining masculine traits being a problem for me.
