Recently, I wrote a story on shoes (ladies shoes of course) in the Gurgaon supplement of our newspaper. The HT Gurgaon Glamour supplement this time, came with tremendous response on a vague story on shoes published on the lame Page 04; something not even half expected.
The moment I logged in to my office mail I encountered more than a dozen mails waiting to appreciate me for taking up this subject and for daring to be informative in my story. However, out of all the responses, one particular response got my attention the most. The mail was sent by someone who claimed to be a renowned doctor in this area, loves wearing heels, is a 47 year old and is a 'male'. Much to my surprise, this guy loves to cross dress, but obviously finds a hard time to find a comfortable and nice pair for himself in Gurgaon. I also wonder how the sales people deal with serving the 'cross dressing' crowd. With all due respect to him and his likings, pasted below is a 'piece' from his email (considering his right to anonymity although he mentioned his name and contact details for further communication):
"I am a 47 years old male. I am a doctor by profession. I have particular liking for lady's shoes and apparels and love to cross-dress. Althogh for years i have been trying to supress this feeling and rather trying to fight it out to get it jout of my mind. But i failed. Now i think of developing my this feminine side.
I find problem in finidng women's sandals of my size. My men size is 8 or 9. My feet measures 10.5 inches in lenght, So what size of women's sandal will fit me? I have tried size 10 and 11 but they are tight in front even if they are ok in lentgh. I would also like you to guide me from where i can get my size. And how much heel should I wear as such I like to wear heels. And what type of heels broad or thin? Will stilletoes suit me?
I will be highly obliged to you as i am very much distressed otherwise"
Courtesy the good old ethics of journalism in me, I replied back with whatever information I had and help I could offer. As much as I love the response from this reader, I couldn't bring myself to terms with the existing answer to a big question any writer has before he/ she writes: "Who is my audience"? I am sure that since the story received such a good response, it must be worth it. Still, I wonder, was it able to put the right feelings across? From a shoe lover (me) to a shoe lover (reader) the information was shared and evidently, much beyond its obvious audience.
I truly thank this reader for having opened my eyes to see beyond the obvious as it would certainly help me deliver better. I hence promise people of the same group to dedicate another 'hard-worked' story on 'cross dressing' very soon.
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