I learned the date when I will be flying home from Montreal—only nine days after my operation! I had thought it was 10 or even 11, but the woman at the clinic assured me that I would be ready to travel. Works for me.
So I'm on the Air Canada web site to book my flights. The flight to Montreal will be cheap, but the one coming home much more expensive, because for the first time in my life I'm going to fly Executive Class. It's a major splurge, but I know that flight is going to be uncomfortable enough without being squeezed into Coach, either crawling over someone to get to the washroom or getting up to let someone else go. I've saved up money for this process, so I'm going to spend some of it to get myself home in style.
I haven't paid attention to my Aeroplan (reward points) account for a long time, pretty much since I first got it. I had stashed the card away in a safe place, a legacy of it being difficult to carry a lot of cards in a skimpy boy wallet as opposed to a more generous girl wallet. I forgot about it or ignored it for those few times I'd booked with Air Canada. I don't fly very often, and most of those times have been on WestJet or another airline. But Air Canada can get me to Montreal and back non-stop, and it's the way to go for this particular trip. As I was working my way through the booking process, nervously, I hit the page where I would input my Aeroplan number. This flight is costing a bundle, so I'm sure as heck going to get some points for it.
So I dig out the card. And what do I find on a card I got in 2001? My old name, of course. I knew that wouldn't work, what with my no-longer-new name on both my passport and my credit card. I called Aeroplan, and the woman I spoke with was very helpful. I explained about the name change, and we figured out that there weren't enough points (now expired, but revievable for a fee) on the old account to go through the hassle of changing the account. So we started a fresh account. I will use it tomorrow, when it's activated, as I go through the flight booking process for real.
I bet something will pop up several years from now with my old name. We're stored on so many disks these days.
I got a phone call the other day from someone asking for me by my old name. I need to come up with a better come-back than "no one here by that name." In this case, I didn't care, because I don't like dealing with phone solicitors anyway, but I might need a smoother reply in the future. It might be someone I know. :)
Going Home For The Holidays
2 hours ago
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8 comments:
Hence why true stealth nowadays is a fantasy. Ones and Zeros, Neo. Ones and Zeros.
No doubt, Trinity, no doubt.
Unless maybe you can simultaneous go into a witness protection program!
"I don't even see the code anymore. All I see is lesbian, straight, transgender..."
As far as callers, you could say something like, "Mr. Soandso is hospitalized indefinitely and I'm handling all his personal matters." ;) I was going to recommend stating that he's in a coma or catatonic state, but that would really alarm some old friends!
True stealth is definitely like the Loch Ness Monster...
I always used "He is no longer around," which is technically true. Most people assume there was a divorce and he moved. If it turned out to be someone with a valid reason to contact me, I would then try to deal with the problem as "the wife", but normally would end up explaining. Otherwise, they could bugger off.
or you could just change all your phone numbers like I did...bit drastic I know, but it works...
After Kay and I were married, I canceled my phone account and have used hers. So I don't really get the phone call. I do get lots of mail with my old name, which irks me to no end. I even get mail for my ex who lives on the other side of town.
Now that's funny! Yep stealth is really a fantasy concept.
Sarah
There is an aspect to the notion of "stealth" that is somehow tempting to all of us. The idea of shedding our past and only being known as our true selves is unquestionably tantalizing.
Yet, in reality, why would we? Are we not all creatures of our pasts - reflections of all of our accumulated experiences?
I'll grant that receiving commercial contacts in my past identity is annoying - but such contacts are usually annoying to begin with.
There will always be people around who knew our past selves - and few can truly dissociate themselves from our pasts entirely. (I certainly couldn't without using too much fiction to fill in the gaps - and I'm an awful, awful liar)
In other words, is stealth ever practical for those of us who transition as adults?
OK, I think I've figured it out. I should say, "This is she, but my name is no longer [male name that could be a female name -- an advantage]. It's Véronique."
I can still get rid of solicitation that I don't want, which I do already, but if someone is legit (this call was an 800 number, so not legit), then I can proceed from there.
I'm not really so much into stealth. Even though I don't think about my past that much, I'm not sorry it's there. And I'm still in touch with a lot of people going back to high school. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I might feel differently when I actually see these people from my past. I live so far away that all contact is via email or Facebook. But who knows, Facebook especially might help. By the time my next high school reunion comes around, I will have been Véronique to them, with pictures, for three years.
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