Courage, Trans rights

Courage in an Ill-Fitting Red Dress

A Wine Aisle Epiphany

Stephan Serfontein
Human Parts
Published in
6 min readJan 20, 2024

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Computer generated image of a woman walking in a group, and a cellphone closer to the reader with an image of the same woman
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I am not the best person to tell this story. I am fully aware of the hypocrisy of criticizing someone’s behavior when, at the same time, I am, sadly, just as guilty of the same transgression. Since I am the one who witnessed the thing, I need to write it down, with the understanding that I am guilty and need to learn from it. The reader may need to read between the lines and see if a lesson is hidden.

This happened last Christmas Eve when you thought there would be goodwill and mutual acceptance between people, including in the part of the country where I live. An area in West Virginia that appears to be economically somewhat better off than the rest of the state. Whether it is higher income or more debt, I cannot tell. Still, as it happens in communities like this, the same stuff you can buy cheaper at your local Save-a-Lot is sold at a premium in a more upmarket store, one of which we have locally and where the sad event took place.

Sitting on my favorite chair in my oldest clothes, I suddenly realized that at some stage over the coming weekend, I might feel like having a glass or more of wine and knew there was none in the house. Since I often meet social acquaintances or co-workers at this store, I usually ensure I look…

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Stephan Serfontein
Stephan Serfontein

Written by Stephan Serfontein

I am a family man, physician, photographer, writer, traveler and cook — depending on the weather and time of the day..! Join me at https://purplerinse.com

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