I'm From Driftwood

by Patrick Holmes

As a kid, I wasn’t exactly the usual boy. Sure I loved my matchbox cars and I liked to play video games but that was only one side of me. The other side of me loved to go to my grandma’s house and try on all of her high heels and walk around the house. That side of me also liked to play Barbies with my little sisters and dress them up and do their hair. He liked to play dress up with them and try on all the girly clothes and accessories. I never really thought anything of it as a kid. I thought it was normal and I didn’t care what people thought of me and my mom never thought anything of it. Mostly because I was her first child but it also didn’t bother her.

I can remember when I was about 7, I went over to my aunt’s house and she painted my toe nails. Each one was painted a different color and I loved it. I loved makeup too. I always wanted to put some on and be pretty but it never happened. My sisters were too young to have makeup and I never bothered asking my mom if I could use her’s. This was all very normal for me and I can remember that I was a very innocent child. I actually tried on one of my best friend’s dresses when I was about 8 and it fit perfectly. She then called in our moms and they saw me and were a little shocked but they seemed fine with it. They actually looked kind of happy but I was a little embarrassed so I took it off immediately.

Those are all the memories I have of being a girly child. I still think it would be fun, even at 15, to wear makeup and have your nails painted and wear dresses but I’m not the kind of person to do drag. I’m not very girly anymore. I hid that side of me for a while and it’s just starting to come back out and I’m ready to let it out. I’m happy again.

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