I'm in a mood these days to have fingernails. So, I use my Nail Magic (great product) and do my own French manicure. Today in a conference session I had a gentleman colleague comment on my nails and ask how I got them that way. I explained - amazed that any man would inquire about such a thing. I didn't have the heart to tell him that one morning I'll just wake up and be tired of them and cut them all off. We went back to the task at hand.

A moment or two later, with no prompting from me, he leaned over and said, "I asked because I'm a cross-dresser."

My only comment, without even looking up, was a non-committal, "Oh, really...," as if I'd heard it a million and one times already. Apparently I've adapted well to being a mental health person.

When I first started working in this field, I thought, "Gosh, I hope mental health people are more fun than public radio people." My first conference a few weeks after the start of the job confirmed that this was - indeed - the case. Actually with a similar story to this one - and it was before the conference even started.

Life is full of surprises...