Surprise! A new dental hygienist...

Today was my appointment for getting my teeth cleaned.

To set the scene for you, I wore capri pants over my pantyhose, a women's long polo tunic and my ballerinas.  I was wearing the last of the sample MAC makeup and my usual lipstick.  (Bear in mind, my given name is now used almost exclusively by girls.)  When I arrived, I found that the dental office has had a big personnel turnover.  None of the office staff, and none of the dental staff (except the dentist who owns the place) knows me as a guy.

The fun started when the receptionist asked my name, which I gave her, in my regular voice, which I softened just a bit.  "Let me get your records, Ms. Sherman."  Obviously, she didn't look up my gender, because, when she got them, she said "Ms Sherman, have a seat and we'll be calling you shortly."  I ducked into the ladies' room, and when I got out, the receptionist saw me and said "Oh, Miss (insert my real first name here) we're ready for you."  She got me seated and told me Ms. (insert new hygienist's name here) will be in shortly.  Within a couple of minutes the hygienist entered, and introduced herself.

The cleaning was quite routine, but I noticed she was dabbing at water splashes around my mouth to dry them, rather than wiping, as the old (male) hygienist used to do.  I thanked her for doing it that way.  She said she was being as careful as possible of my makeup - she didn't want to mess it up.  After she was done, she dabbed off the enamel polishing abrasive bits from my lips but said "You're going to need to reapply your lipstick, sweetie.  After cleaning you up, there's not much left!"  I told her "No problem...when I get back in the car, I'll reapply it.  Thanks for saving my makeup, though - it's more work to get it fixed right, when I'm not at home."  Her reply was "I totally agree with you, Miss (insert my real first name here).  You might want to wear long-lasting lipstick, though.  Girls who wear it don't lose their lipstick when I clean them up."  "Great suggestion, thanks!"  "OK,  Miss  (insert my real first name here), you can go out to the counter and I'll bring your file in a minute.

And the girls at the desk also addressed me as Miss.   I guess people generally treat you as the gender they can see...even if the voice is a bit "off." And, it's wonderful to not hear the dreaded "Sir"!