A Contrast In Styles

I think (hope) that The Jenner Story is waning in interest by the great unwashed, squealing in corners about his bravery.  Snort!

By contrast, more than 25 years ago at LAX, this was taking place.  Richie worked for a Major American Airline (MAA) and in those days workers and their  spouses were allowed to park in Employee Parking and grab one of the trams at the various locations and ride into the bowels of LAX to catch their flights.  

The "trams" were actually shuttle buses.  One of the drivers was named Mickey Jean and was formerly a man.  She was no better looking as a lady than she'd been as a gent a point that seems to have totally been ignored by Caitlin Jenner, presented as she was on the cover of Vanity Fair.  She went for a 26 year old glamor puss at the ripe old age of 65.  (However the hands never lie - take a look at hers.)    

Mickey Jean remained age appropriate and I never heard a word against her.  The general attitude seemed to be honest curiosity as to why any male would ever want to be a woman?

Mickey Jean continued on her gruff way, black work shoes thumping briskly up and down the stairs of her tram.

Many years later after her retirement, the ground crew was augmented by an actually young man who was clearly into change because his  was clearly on  display through his uniform shirt, over his navy work pants and black work shoes.  I wondered what the passengers must be thinking as the yglanced out the window during boarding and saw "her."  

The only thing even remotely detrimental that  I heard was "She male" in reference to her  and it was always said with honest bewilderment by the ground crews.

So Bruce to Caitlan was pretty much an ode to narcissism. But the MAA employee -  During transition... working with very few females ... very much in the public eye - that's bravery to me.
 
MAA'S Employee Retirement once had Bruce Jenner as a guest speaker at one of their monthly meetings.  Somewhere in the '90s he was still bragging about his 1976 Olympic win. 
 
It was billed as an "inspirational story" but how much braver would it have been for him to casually take off his sport coat and shirt and address the audience in his training bra?