May I Have Some Feedback?
4/30/2022
According to my wife, I break a lot of blogging “rules”. I am not concise, I do not use a pretty theme, etc. I just write up what happened on my outing, fix the grammar bugs that I can see, and add some pictures when I can. I think my greatest concern is that I write such long posts that some people do not read them.
Is there anything that I should change about my blog? Also, please let me know if there is something that I should NOT change.
You can leave a comment on this page. WordPress allows you to leave anonymous comments. Or, you can e-mail me at (jjjjohanne at yahoo.com). If you would like, you could even send me a private message to jjjjohanne on the crossdressers.com forum.
Thank you for being out there and knowing I exist! 🙂
Joey
joeypress 
Joey, I think your blog is great. It is very unique in this space as a guy, presenting as a guy and wearing feminine clothes in public. BTW, a website you might like is https://www.gender-blender.com/. That gentleman and wife have a great life. The gentleman presents male from the head up and female clothing-wise from the neck down.
What I like about your blog is the level of detail of your encounters. I can’t believe you remember everything. The pictures really add to your adventures.
My favorite parts are when you have conversations with people and are able to get their thoughts and opinions on how you are dressed. It seems people are more accommodating these days.
I could not be as brave as you. I am very happy that you can live the life you live and be happy.
I am also married with an understanding wife. Thankfully.
Thank you. 🙂 I am aware of that couple from Gender Blender. He has a mighty understanding/generous wife! I normally start to write my posts within a few hours of my outings. I at least capture a few phrases to remind me of things I want to include. There was a time when I would not have believed that I could have been brave enough to do the things I have done. Time has provided opportunities that have resulted experiences that have lead me to where I am today… Again. Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment!!
Joey
Interesting. I’ve been following for some time. What I like is that what you say is true, real experiences and you are encouraging to others who are in similar situations.
When situations come up you handle them in a mature manner and describe them. Tasteful, appropriate pictures taken by real people present. It all adds credibility and I look forward to your posts. I can’t really think of anything that I don’t like. And, I am so glad that your wife is as supportive as she is, give her credit too.
Well, thank you! I figured I would get advice. I didn’t write this with getting such nice comments in reply! I’m pleasantly surprised.
I have tried to always tell the truth. I do leave out details sometimes. Sometimes, I have left out embarrassing details, where I have said dorky things. I have merged two conversations into one on at least one occasion, in order to make it flow better. I have summarized conversations as well, I believe. Overall, I tried to be honest. I certainly did not make any of my stories up.
A while back, I read a blog post by someone. She was transgender. She had decided to live full-time as a woman. Her spouse divorced her. She came out at work. She went to work for the first time as a woman. I subscribed to her blog to find out what happened next. A week or two later, the blog was empty. She eventually posted that one of her co-workers looked up her name online and found her blog. The woman told her, “I found your blog!”. She took down the blog because she did not want all of her brutally honest and intimate history to be shared with her work-acquaintances. That made me think. Do I have anything on here that I would not want to be read by my siblings, co-workers, wife, pastor, enemies, etc.? I might filter what I say on those grounds. Probably, I am more likely to filter what I DO so that the public does not think badly of guys like me. Therefore, I do not need to filter what I say. 🙂
My wife is not quite supportive, in my mind. She is more tolerant. I would love it if she would go shopping with me, or go on an outing with me. So far, other than picking up pantyhose at the grocery store, or helping me try on shoes for a Halloween costume, she has not done any of those things. With that said, she knows “everything”. She knows about this blog, but she has never asked to see it. She has not left me or given me an ultimatum. So, that is a little supportive, perhaps.
I have never considered that people are looking forward to my blog posts. What a thought! 😀 Thank you. I have had a change in my work situation. It has been good for my family, but it has reduced my opportunities to crossdress and have outings. Sometimes, I went out twice per week. Now, I go out every couple months. I have only had a very few outings where it was so mundane that I did not bother to write about it. You already know that, probably, because you read about the boring things I do! 🙂 I hope to go out more, and when I do, I’ll probably write about it!
Joey
The theme is fine. When I read your blog I want to see what you did, what you wore, how people reacted, how you felt. Any theme that attracts my attention gets in the way. And you don’t need to be concise, you aren’t writing every day after all.
Keep going just as you are!
Nina xx
I always enjoy reading of your adventures and like the way you present them. I especially enjoy it when you post a picture along with your story. That allows many of us to live vicariously thru your adventures. Please continue to do so here as well as your blog. Go have a fantastic Mother’s Day. Hugs, Lisa 🙂
The first thing to say is: please don’t stop! Your blog is pretty unique in describing a guy who presents as a guy but wears feminine clothing and goes about everyday activities in the real world. I relate to that, and to the kinds of outings that you have, and I really enjoy reading about your adventures. If there’s one thing I’d like more of, it’s to hear about how you feel when dressed; what emotions you have during your trips, as well as the story itself. Maybe one day you’ll even get your wife to write a guest post about her take on the whole thing – now that wold be interesting to read! Keep up the good work 🙂
Hi Joey,
An occasional reader here and first, let me say I certainly appreciate attention to grammar and spelling! As to “pretty,” I don’t know what options WordPress affords for style. But I find it fascinating that your wife, who has struggled with your cross-dressing, takes an interest in your best presentation here. She may not be wild about cross-dressing, but is obviously concerned about your safety and social backlash, and it seems she cares about you deeply. Nice to see.
Your central theme is intriguing. Openly cross-dressing––while otherwise presenting as a man––presents a range of cross-dressing that’s hardly discussed elsewhere. Cross-dressing to “pass” gets plenty of attention elsewhere. Never mind that few cross-dressers men have the build to achieve that illusion.
Like others, I appreciate your honesty. What a contrast to the inane “forced feminization” fantasies elsewhere. As if! It’s the rare, understanding hetero woman that will accept a cross-dressing mate, much less seek one out. Entering into a marriage without disclosing one’s true inclinations is a recipe for divorce once secrets spill––as they always will. Honesty is the best policy. Your wife apparently knew about your cross-dressing going into the marriage. And you two have worked out an arrangement that respects both your needs. That’s key. You have an exceptional spouse!
Part of your need seems to involve achieving the freedom to be and be seen in public life––albeit in venues less likely to impact your family, friends and employers––while continually testing and expanding the horizons of your cross-dressing away from your neighborhood. Maybe I’ve missed an entry if that’s happened already? I suppose you and your wife have discussed what might happen, how each of you might feel after, or would respond in the moment? Perhaps when you’ve no public adventure to post, you might share more about that personal aspect. There are places in America where your cross-dressing would be accepted without issues. Palm Springs comes to mind. Would you and your spouse ever consider relocating as an option?
Cheers––and thanks!
Hello Alvie. It is good to meet you!
I appreciate your feedback.
Concerning just being a man and crossdressing: I have come across a few people like me on crossdressers.com. There is a site, skirtcafe.org, that is 100% about men wearing women’s clothes while presenting male. I fit in at skirtcafe.org the best. I discovered that I cannot say “crossdresser” there, or I will get my post taken down. Apparently, it is to be clearly understood that such guys on that site are not crossdressers, they are men who wear traditionally female clothing. (I find that amusing.)
Thank you for complimenting my wife. I consider my wife tolerant, but not accepting. I told my wife about my crossdressing before we were married. At the time, however, I was on a purge cycle. It lasted 9 months — a record. So, she ended up with more than she married into. She loves me. We have a good life together, but, she does not want me to be a crossdresser. It is my belief that she is ashamed of this side of me. We neither one want our friends and family to know about it. If we are far away from home, she does not want to be around me if I crossdress. …and nowhere is far enough away from home. (I know a lot of people. Once, I ran into a friend while returning home on an international flight.) I do not know how my crossdressing will play out in life. I would love it if she was part of it in some way. The best crossdressing moment with her: On a couple of occasions she said, “That is a good outfit.”
We have never discussed the what-ifs. That’s a good idea.
Concerning grammar and spelling: I am a Math/Engineering guy. Reading and writing are not strengths for me. I have to re-read my posts several times before posting them. Later, when I re-read them, I still find text that is unintelligible or instances where I used the wrong spelling of a word (there/their). If my spelling and grammar are to be praised, then that is quite an achievement for me!! 🙂
Joey
Checked out skirtcafe.org, and I see what you mean. In a discussion labeled, “The skirt… still a bridge too far it seems.” the original poster is soon taken to task by a reader for introducing the term “feminine” to describe some accepted young men’s styles of today (eyeliner, nail polish) but not yet daring to wear a skirt publicly:
“Moon, I am a little puzzled by your apparent line of reasoning. It seems to rely on the idea (that the cafe is here to oppose) that skirts are intrinsically feminine i.e., you note that young men are dressing in a feminine manor, therefore, why aren’t they wearing a skirt? While this might not be your intention, it does seem to me to be what you are saying.”
Does it seem the skirts-are-for-tough-guys poster “doth protest too much”? I mean, god forbid some man somewhere in the privacy of his soul ever admit to feeling pretty with the rush of a silky skirt fluttering around his legs. Take that right out of our yard!
I cannot explain skirtcafe.org’s history or purpose. They may do what they do there because of specific circumstances. I am glad there is a site for guys like me.