The seX factor

I look at this woman and I can't help but wonder. We live in a society that hardly accepts those of us who are considered normal. Our teen years are riddled with all sorts of cries for attention and approval from...everyone. The world in general has a warped relationship with sex and all things related. Parents would much rather have their children witness a beheading than have them witness a couple have sexual relations. So I...marvel at this woman, Lea T, and I wonder how tormented she must have been before she decide that enough was enough...that she would succumb to her femininity and leave the shell of masculinity that she was born with.

I am vexed at the 'boxed in' mentality that we as a society are so comfortable with. This is this and that is that and there is nothing in between. One only has to reflect back to the Caster Simenya debacle to see how uncomfortable we are with the idea that there may be more to life than what we thought. But I can understand...in fact I can almost sympathise with the idea of growing up with a certain ideal deeply intrenched in you and struggling to come to terms with the fact that the ideal may be up for debate. What I cannot and will not understand is our lack of empathy. We all know what it is to be a teenager. We are all fully aware of the amount of confusion and hightened emotion that comes with the dawning of each day. Teenagers are a bunch of tortured souls that will jump off the highest building at the slightest provocation...knowing that, how is it that we are unable to empathise with those who are faced with feelings that may be interpreted as abnormal?

For most teenagers the yearning for approval trumps every other feeling, all you have to do is look at the amount of teens that find themselves scribbling down a cellphone number quoted on a "Pain free abortion" poster. From childhood most are taught that the opinions of others matter more than their own. I don't know that parents know that when they "what will people say?" everytime their child does something out of order, they are setting their child up for major disappointment because; that child may end up trying to impress "people" at their detriment only to find out that "people" don't give a rats ass. Yes they will judge you and ridecule you...but then tomorrow they will find another freak to laugh at.

So this is basically a salute to Lea T who was honest with herself and others. I don't know what it is to feel displaced to the point of physical discomfort. I cannot begin to imaging how restless one must feel when they open their eyes in the morning and know that they are going to spend the next 12 hours lying to everyone they meet...I can only say that I respect those who understand that they are the ones who have to live with themselves.