When I went to whatever department store (J.C. Penney?) on October 14, 1988 to meet Bruce Jenner, I had no intention of buying any London Fog piece of clothing he was promoting, but I knew that he was giving away autographed pictures and that I had a really good 8x10 for him to sign.  This was a man who I knew primarily from commercials, the box of Wheaties and of course Olympic footage from when I was a kid.  I was 10 years old when he won all his medals and of course he was all over the TV both during the Olympics and then riding the course of fame afterwards. 

The only thing I really remember about that day was that he was very businesslike, not unfriendly but not talkative, and that he was really handsome with some scruff. This handsome scruff guy was vastly different from the Bruce Jenner that had appeared in the super-gay, ultra-campy and discombobulated “Can’t Stop the Music” movie from 1980! 

He remained a footnote in my mind and was not active on my radar again, except when he got married to Linda Thompson.  And then came the first season of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians”.  During my viewing of the show, a lot of my focus was on Bruce because of course he was the only person that I knew. Mostly I was intrigued by his preoccupation with things like flying RC helicopters, playing golf and bickering with Kris. I also felt that he had a weird relationship with his elder children and wondered how the younger two Jenner girls were going to look and “be” - there seemed to be so much pressure in that house. Was everything in that household reality? Done for ratings? Both? Whatever. We’ll talk about my meeting with Kim later. 

Fast forward to the big reveal and the transition to Caitlyn, combined with his conservative viewpoints on the public stage now as a trans woman. Caitlyn was stirring it UP with the things that she was saying, the things that she was doing, the ultra-conservative stances that she was taking, the looks and outfits that she chose to wear.  I didn't have any negative or discriminatory feelings towards this change, it was just more like sensory overload originating from a man who became famous in dolphin shorts and a tank-top who was now a long-haired woman in tight dresses espousing extremely conservative views. Mind-blown-emoji. 

You already KNOW I had to keep that Vanity Fair in mint condition and unopened when it first came out.  I love how (depending on his mood) she will sign Olympic pictures or Bruce Jenner heyday images with the name Bruce OR Caitlyn.  

I prefer Her Serene Highness, Princess Grace of Monaco and her very clear delineated approach when signing autographs.  If the photo that she autographed was taken prior to her marriage, she would sign it as Grace Kelly. Any photos taken or correspondence sent after her marriage were signed Grace de Monaco. 

Everything is just much more fluid nowadays.