I’ve been caught in more than a few situations since I transitioned where people came at me very angry.  As a rule the way I have lived my life has been to be kind to everyone and anyone that I meet.  I am free with a smile, and always try to make the day better for the people I come across.

But my smile is less a greeting now than it is a defense mechanism.  Generally people that come at me are angry, not questioning or curious.  So I broadcast the largest and friendliest smile I can come up with and if they keep coming I go somewhere else.  Their response to the smile is all I need to know.  One of the side effects of transition is the acquisition of fear, and my warning light is the response to a smile.