RANSVESTIA

The episode with the makeup more or less led the way to bigger and better things. I began to try on various articles of clothing after the trial with the makeup. The more I dressed, the more I needed to dress, and dress constantly.

So for the next few years I dressed every time my parents, brother and sister were out of the house. I would think up excuses to stay home when trips were planned, or when just short visits were in the offering. These few moments with my femme side were cherished and memories were drawn upon whenever I could not dress for any period of time.

During this period there were times when I had some very close calls. I can remember mother coming in the house unexpectedly with grandma and my sister. I was clothed, bejeweled, and made up. I crawled under the bed and undressed while my mother was in the same room. I then proceeded to the bathroom, and washed rather hurriedly. The amazing thing was that no one caught me. I voted myself the "Invisible Woman" award after that one.

This life style continued on until I got out of high school. I tried college for awhile, but found I was just not cut out for the college life. So I embarked on the next phase of my life, I entered the service.

My time in service found me dressing in very erratic spurts. Basic training was a period of total abstinence. I really thought that by being in service I might find myself no longer needing the lovely clothes that I had loved to wear in civilian life.

Well, I am convinced that I shall never give up my femme side. Think- ing about it now, I think that we who have this ability to express both sides are very lucky and I hope to learn to accept myself as I am, and improve both John and Joanna.

It wasn't long after I got to my station that I was able to make the acquaintance of a nice young girl. She was never aware of my tendencies, at least she gave no indication that she was. We got to know each other pretty well and we began to live together. Then my old desires began to come back to me stronger than ever.

She would go to work and leave me at the house alone. Those days, when I had day off, and she was at work, were days that I spent catch- ing up on makeup techniques and the thrills of dressing.

I remember many times during this period when I would have doubts