How openminded are we truly?

[Gor Gar]

...and I too have to truthfully say that I'm farther from "open-mindedness" than I like to think I am. Very recently, and I'm talking weeks here, a friend of mine that I've known for years has started living life as a woman, and I simply cannot wrap my brain around it. I thought that sort of awkwardness was behind me when I had a cousin come out like that several years ago, but lo and behold I'm back to square one when an unrelated friend does it too.

It's not like this is a total shock or anything...all of the writing was on the wall, and I pretty much saw it coming after some of the confessionals this friend had with me...but as it is right now, I simply cannot see this friend as the woman he aspires to be. Honestly I see, and no offense to anybody if I sound callous, but I see an old 40-something year old goofball that has let his fantasies run amok with the rest of his life.

That being said though, I'm not really acting differently toward this friend (the fact that they live out of state probably helps), but I don't know if things can or will be the same from this point on with them. I mean, the things we had in common all along are we're both aspiring artists (this friend was always more talented and professional than me), our love for trashy/exploitative B-movies, and especially our affinity/weakness for girls who are barefooters. Main difference is, whereas I fantasize about being with the barefoot girl, he always wanted to be the barefoot girl.

If anybody has any advice or pointers for me over this situation I would greatly appreciate it. This friend has invited me to come spend a few days visit with them sometime this summer, something I've done before, but honestly I don't know if I'd feel comfortable with it now, and I don't know if I'm right about this, or I'm being a closed-minded jerk.