By
Bob Cox
We
live in a place and time where our personal freedoms have never been
greater. These freedoms of course have not come freely but through
tremendous hardships and sacrifices from those among us and before us
who believed in the most common value that unites us as Americans.
And while these inspiring and noble efforts rightfully deserve to be
acknowledged and appreciated, our work is far from over.
While
there is certainly plenty to do to create a fair and balanced playing
field for us all, the work I’m actually referring to is the
internal stuff that’s deeply buried within each of us. Here are two
introspective questions to ask yourself: Do I feel free enough to
express my deepest core feelings without the fear of being judged and
ridiculed by others? How much of my feelings and core beliefs are
shaped, influenced and even limited by my genetics and environment?
Environmental factors include such things as race, religion,
education, occupation, age, relationships with others and even
gender.
With
Bruce Jenner’s transition into Caitlyn Jenner still grabbing the
spotlight, a closer look into how our gender defines our human
experience and the feelings we ultimately feel makes good sense. From
the time we’re conceived, the outer world has innocently conspired
to shape and construct our external environment, from the color our
bedrooms will be painted to the clothes we’ll wear and the toys
we’ll play with. As we transition into adulthood, how many times
will we hear the disapproving admonishments from others, like “Act
like a man” or “That isn’t very ladylike”?
What’s
truly amazing is the determination of our gender is something so
infinitesimally tiny, it cannot always be seen under even the most
powerful microscope: the chromosome. What exactly is a chromosome? A
chromosome
is a packaged and organized structure containing most of the DNA
of a living organism. Chromosomes are only visible under a lighted
microscope when the cell is undergoing mitosis
(when they align together and prepare to divide). Finally, of the 46
chromosomes that are within each of us, it’s the final two that
determine our gender (xx = female and xy = male).
I
don’t know about you, but that’s just about all the science this
poor feeble mind can stand for one article! With that in mind, when I
think of the most highly respected people from the last century,
people like Dr. Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Franklin D.
Roosevelt, Mahatma Ghandi, Golda Meir, Nelson Mandela and Sandra Day
O’Conner, just to name a few, each possessed the courage to embrace
the character traits that are commonly associated with one gender or
the other, qualities like compassion, courage, empathy, conviction,
integrity and the willingness to lay it all on the line.
Just
one more thought to ponder: Isn’t it amazing how similar the words
Jenner and gender are? Is that just some sort of freaky cosmic
coincidence or could it actually be the destiny of a new trailblazer?
In the final analysis of Jenner’s transformation, I can truthfully
say that as much as I was excited by Bruce’s gold medal during the
1976 Olympics, I’m even more inspired by Caitlyn’s courage to
risk the potential scorn and ridicule of the world by following her
heart and being genuinely authentic.
As
time goes by, I have slowly discovered the exhilaration and
liberation of less and less fear of what others think about me, which
has allowed me to behave with more authenticity. I’ve never been a
very good actor anyway, so this has been a double blessing! With all
the love in the air this month and Valentine’s Day just a heartbeat
away, why not give the ultimate gift to your sweetheart, your true
and authentic self!
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