Bethanys First Day in Public Health

April 30^th, 2018 was my first day at work as Bethany, it was  Monday, I was nervous, excited, worried, all those emotions in one.  I changed my mind on what to wear 5 or 6 times.  I went out and bought a new dress to wear to work but since I had never wore it before I didn’t want the first time to be at work and a wardrobe malfunction take place.  So I settled on a skirt and sleeveless coral top.  I woke up to start getting ready around 5:30.   I normally get up at 6:00.  I figured that it wasn’t going to be that much of a change. 

So I am dressed everything but my makeup by 6:00 that is when I realized that I didn’t like the top or skirt.  So ended up in the red dress I bought to begin with.

Luckily my alarm for my daughters went off at 6:00 otherwise I would have changed for a third time.  My youngest walked in the kitchen just as I was starting breakfast, eggs, sausage, and toast.   I sent my youngest back to her room to get changed the clothes I set out for her and finished breakfast.  It is 6:15 and my oldest isn't up yet.  I get headed towards her room and she meets him in the living room.

Johna: “Dad the button on my pants is stuck and I cant get it open.  

So why you are standing in the living room in your panties? 

Johna: I tried to get my pants on but couldn’t.

That’s fine but no one stands around the living room in their panties. 

About this time my youngest comes in she had decided not to wear the jeans and shirt to school we had set out she decided to wear a dress instead of a top.  So she was wearing a dress and jeans.  Once we got the dress off and her shirt on we got headed to school.   

Because of the eventful morning they were running late for school which made me run late for work. 

So by the time I get to the office everyone is pretty much already there.  Any hope I had to be there and ninja like my entrance was quickly eliminated as I am entering building the fire alarm goes off.  
So people get headed towards me.

Usually there are 150 people in my building but I think that day there must have been 400 at least it felt like it and they were all looking at me.  The first person I recognize in Laurence, then Tony, then Kristy, then Karen then everyone else.  They all came walking over to me.

We made small talk talked about their weekends and asked if there was anything new, I reassured them there was not.  They admitted that I had already been replaced by Bethany in Outlook.   I let them know what was going on and they were all supportive. 

Some got it right and called me Bethany right away some still relied on Joe quite a bit.

After the alarm we all get back to our daily routines.  Periodically  I would get a call from a member of our executive leadership team they asked me to come see them, and they would ask how I was doing.  I was appreciative of their concern but I don’t think I got 10 minutes of work done that day. 

I waited till I came to work as Bethany to utilize the ladies room prior to that I used the men’s facilities and I was Okay using them after I started coming to work as Bethany but work directed me to utilize the women’s facilities as the men’s facilities would send a conflicting signal.

So my first day as Bethany I am conducting a After Action meeting on our Zika response.  The meeting was scheduled to start at 1:00pm so I headed to the restroom at 12:30 and then onto the meeting.  During the meeting I get up and begin my speech and answer all questions and sit down/  After the meeting Juli one of our executive leaders walked over to me and politely asked me if my dress had been tucked in my panties all day.  After the embarrassment subsided I reassured her they got stuck after I have left the restroom. 

My colleague Karen  “Not even Bethany a day and already showing people your butt, you want to get ahead using your brains not your body.”   

After work I went to pick up my girls and told Johna the story

Johna “You wont let me stand around in the living room with my panties on but you show your panties to your work, that seems unfair” 

“Life is unfair and my incident was completely unforeseen.

Needless to say my first day was interesting it has cooled off since then but periodically I will get asked to speak to someone that the routine staff members do not want to address usually a member of the LGBTQ community. 

Apparently they expect me to be the spokeswoman for all LGBTQ people and issues.