The last couple of winters, I got away with putting a thick lining in my trench coat. Not so this year–had to break out the full-on, padded winter coat that zips all the way up to the chin. Wearing that and my over-sized gloves, I can understand why some people on the train do a double take.

Long hair, must be a woman. Wait! No curves, no purse…maybe…

Then there’s the examination. The gaze starts at the men’s shoes and then slowly lifts upwards–gathering clues/piecing together evidence. Eyes meets eyes and the gaze breaks abruptly. I like to think that looking into my beautiful brown ones has just shattered whatever theory they had crafted.

Sometimes, I just want to put the truth out there:  “My gender is none of your business.”