āAct like youāve been there beforeā is a clichĆ© Iāve heard that means to behave in a situation that is new and exciting to you as if it is something old and familiar to you instead.
As a closeted transfeminine person, Iām thinking about painting my fingernails black - wearing coloured polish in public would be a first for me. And Iām thinking of getting them done at a salon - another first.
Iām so nervous but excited. I know from experience of rocking neutral or clear polish as a cis-looking AMAB person that being super nonchalant about having painted nails in public will lead to me having a better time, which is ironic because rocking painted fingernails in public is like bucket list-level excitement for me. But to assuage my high levels of social anxiety and increase my odds of having a good time, I know I ought to be nonchalant or āact like Iāve been there before.ā Itās kind of humorous to me, even though I obviously donāt think there should be any stigma at all.
The more I dwell on this, the more I realize itās important to me and I should do it. Gotta gather my courage tho! š
Having your nails painted isnāt nearly as scary as it sounds. You might get a second glance sometimes, but mostly people donāt really care and itās all in your head. Mine are a nice flashy corral color right now and I havenāt had any negative interactions. In a worst case you just kind of get the feeling that people are actively trying to not comment on it.
It honestly works great as a good social filter. Sometimes Iāll run into a cashier or someone similar in passing who seems uncomfortable with it(usually older folks), but itās otherwise a good way to find other queer folks or allies in the wild and start a conversation.
Thanks for the words of wisdom :). Corral sounds lovely. And thinking of positives helps me reframe it
Just go for it and walk around with it! You can always take it off with a little bit a acetone and a minutes effort if you donāt like it!
