I know, I know, but they are cute aren't they?!
Other than blatant Grandma bragging, I chose these photos to help broach a subject that, as it seems, some find very controversial and, by judging reactions to the whole situation, even a bit scary.
We all start out in this world just like these little ones, untouched, open, unscathed, oblivious of the boxes society likes to assign.
I have to say I am a bit confused by all of the hype surrounding the whole transgender/public bathroom thing.
It seems very strange that this, all of a sudden, has become yet another petri dish that serves no purpose, as far as I can see, than to further try to develop a culture of fear and mistrust toward our fellow humans.. Do we really think that this is somehow something that has magically developed in the last year or two?
Are we really to believe that transgender people simply didn't exist until lawmakers and politicians decided to notice them?
Where have they been going to the bathroom up until now? Is it possible they have been using the bathrooms of their choosing all along and nobody has noticed? Nobody noticing. So why do we choose for it to become some kind of problem, now, out of the blue?
I must be missing a very fundamental piece of information, because from what I have gathered, so far, I can't really pinpoint who gains anything by making this into yet another "thing."
It's most definitely not the transgender community. It's definitely not anyone else, either.
Like public bathrooms aren't awkward enough places. Be honest, we all avoid them, if we can. Now what? We will all have prove to, I don't know, some kind of potty police, what type of genitalia we were born with? What the hell kind of ID are we gonna need for that one?! I, for one, do not look forward to posing for that photo!
I just think that lawmakers must have much better things to do with their time than worry about who pees where. I mean, they must, right?
I guess I just can't imagine anything much worse than growing up feeling like you don't fit in your own body. Where living the lie of being who you are not becomes so impossible you are willing to endure every societal judgment and all of the torment that provokes.
One of the arguments is that predators will now take advantage of the situation, and pretend to be transgender to gain access to the public bathroom of their choice. Predators are an evil breed. Do we really think they need to dress up and go into public washrooms to get at their prey? Again, if some creep wants to dress up for the sole purpose of harassing and assaulting people, I have to assume they already are doing so. I don't think people intent on sexual assault are too worried about laws that will allow them into bathrooms. Something tells me they aren't real sticklers for rules.
I don't know, maybe I have it all wrong, but, if society wants me to suddenly become fearful of yet another entire group of people, I think I'm going to need a better reason than......whatever the hell this is.
We have so many, much more real problems. Too many of our kids go to bed hungry every single night. Way too many kids don't have a bed at all. Our shelters and prisons are dangerously overcrowded, Too many kids aren't finishing school. Women and children are being assaulted at an alarming rate, oddly enough, in my research, I couldn't find one incident in which the assailant was transgender.
I fear we are grossly misplacing our resources.
I guess I just feel we should focus on stuff that really matters and let people pee in peace.
A little closer to home..............
The shop is hopping....this week marks our third anniversary. It's awesome!
I was able to all but finish prepping for the Word Slam workshop ................
Made another dent in the novel I'm working on............
As for the upcoming week................
Like I mentioned, the shop is hopping...............
Put the last touches on preparations and then attend Lucky Lake's Word Slam.
Kick another dent in my novel.............
Squeeze some grandbabies!!!!!!
Well that about does it for another week...............
May we come to understand that no matter how hard we wish, predators don't have a uniform.
May we understand they walk with us, look like us,work with us, yet want only to cause harm.
May we see that they are our husbands, boyfriends, bosses, first dates, strangers in the night.
May we know they troll our children online, promising ultimate rebellion, a way out of their parents' sight.
May we look for evil where evil lives, teaching our children to trust the little hairs on the back of their neck.
May we teach not to paint with a broad brush, evil lives in every walk of life, not one is exempt,
May we, in the same breath, show them the good throughout the world, show that most people are good and kind.
May we show them that although the darkness exists, we can still choose to live in the light.
May we teach them to be aware, but not live their lives in fear. Be courageous, yet cautious, at your job, while you dance, in your dorm.
May we truly understand that no matter how hard we wish, predators don't have a uniform.
Until next time.............
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