Humans of Ōtautahi: Patricia
“Since I was about six, they put me in dresses. I just didn’t want to get out of them, that’s all. Yes, my cousins dressed me up, and I enjoyed it.
“It’s interesting when you look back on life because, as I say, I’m 80 now. I’ve been in and out over the years. Sydney, I lived as a woman there for so many months. I’ve done it all my life. But when I was 79, I said, ‘oh well, that’s enough of this’. So that’s where I’m at.
“The only thing I kind of regret, and I do regret it, because I like being honest. It’s too hard telling lies. But when I married my wife 54 years ago, I didn’t tell her I had a problem. It took a couple of years to get it out of me. She said, ‘what the hell’s the matter with you?’ I said, ‘I just want to put on a dress. But of course, if I had told you that before, would you have married me?’ But we have never been so much in love, and life is rolling on. She loves me as I am, and that’s terrific.
“I had my first perm yesterday, and for my 80th birthday, my wife bought me a wedding band, so that was nice. It took me two months [and I had] to be patient, but now I’ve got my driver’s license in the name of Patricia Hales. I’ve got my IDs. Right, I’m all organised.
“I’ve got a few projects. Of course, paint’s a new one at $4 a litre. People come along, bring their paint in; out it goes, and everybody wins. You see what I mean? I love it.
“And, of course, my library’s whistling along. Yes. Four or five years now. So that’s good. It’s a service. We got them all free. That gives me a lift. Everybody wins. Everybody has to win. Beautiful. And I meet all sorts, which is lovely.”