My wish for the future, a Prayer for Hope, Peace and Acceptance
These are a few of the thoughts I’ve had over a long time. They contain a little bit of my whimsy, but the wish within and the desire for all of you is true, particularly now for people of all race and colour.
You may feel as if this is the way some people wish, offering prayers for world peace, though I think we are closer to my whimsical goal than we are at attaining world peace!
I’m talking about the simple right to be yourself, to live your life as you choose to. This is still not universal; some areas are more advanced than others are, but there is much more that needs to be done everywhere.
We have come so far in the last 20, 40, even 75 years with respect to human rights, particularly when it comes to people who lead, or wish to lead what’s now called a non-binary lifestyle. This is truer in the Western world than in other areas; where the folks who find themselves inexorably drawn to a gay, lesbian, or transgender lifestyle can do so, and do it more openly than ever before. This is not a lifestyle choice, but something that is hardwired into our being.
In the past, when a woman became pregnant it was to be hidden away. Here in Canada, one large employer would move women away from dealing with customers as soon as they started to show some tummy; this was in the mid 80’s. Changing attitudes takes time, education, and the willingness to respect the person whoever they are. Race, colour, and sexual preferences are irrelevant. We are all people of this Earth.
In my short time on this world and in my country of birth, Canada, I have seen great strides in gender equality. When I was still a teenager it was a crime to be caught in a same sex relationship, and it was punishable by imprisonment with a lasting record of such. Plus… the treatment to cure one of this so called disease is what we now call cruel and unusual punishment.
Forty years later same sex marriages became legal, which caused perhaps as much controversy as de criminalizing same sex relationships did then. Certainly it was not universally regarded as the right thing to do.
But I digress here. I have seen strides in acceptance and understanding, but the lifestyle that we wish to live is still fraught with shame, guilt, and misunderstanding. Who can explain this to another anyway when we can’t even explain it to ourselves? Many of us start out hiding ourselves away, closeted, sometimes only for a short time as others may for decades until their feminine side finally becomes so insistent they can no longer hold her back. The problem in that respect is that by then most of us have well established male personas, families, jobs, careers, friends and other interests, which seem to be at odds to us showing up for work in a dress. A few workplaces here will now permit this, but most don’t and aren’t comfortable with it.
My prayer for the future is so simple; that we may just present and dress ourselves the way we choose to and find complete acceptance. In that men can look like men one day, and then dress as women the next, or simply present as a woman all of the time, and to be treated as there isn’t something wrong with them.
So many things need to change for this to become a reality, and I think education is the most important thing in helping us to reach that point.
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Amy Myers
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Society’s expectations seem so fickle to me. As a Closet Girl, I think I’m free to live or move where I want, where we think I might fit in. Where my Crossdressing wouldn’t be so so counter cultured. But the reality for my current life style and those associated with. Truly isn’t so. Perhaps one day. I live your outfit and your article
So for all the typos
Thank you very much Davida. Yes that seems to be the problem, doesn’t it? The fickleness of society, and the attitudes of those around us.
Amy
Very nice thoughts Amy.
Thank you, Rikki!
Here here Amy. Great article. Back in the 60s Gene Roddenberry came up with the Vulcan philosophy of IDIC: Infinite Diversity In Infinite Combinations. Among other things they recognize and celebrate that opposites must coexist. I use IDIC very much like I use “whatever floats your boat". It may not be my thing but as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody that’s fine by me. Too many people (and to me “some" is too many) seem to subscribe to an opposite philosophy: Live And Let Die. But with each generation we get closer as a species to how most of… Read more »
Thank you. I was a fan of Star Trek, but had forgotten that. I agree with your last sentence, though there is progress to be made, it is generally getting better in most places.
Amy
I agree Casey, Spock was well ahead of his time and I imagine on Vulcan there is no need to discriminate against gender or choice of clothing or sexual orientation or race. It is just not logical
Thanks Amy
We educate and help others to understand just by being who we are and going about our normal day. We don’t need or want to be special, we just want to be. I feel it getting better and easier.
Thank you Olivia. Yes, you are so right, we simply want to be!
Amy
Lovely photo to go with some lovely thoughts. As a society as you said Amy we have come forward in leaps and bounds in such a short period of time recently compared to the slow progression we have had historically. If we keep moving forward as we are now perhaps in my or our lifetime we may see what you are wishing for in the future. As a race we need to stop ourselves having preconceived ideas of what makes a man or a woman and look at what makes a person. And wether that person is good or bad… Read more »
Yes, that’s very true Gail.
Thank you.
Amy
Lovely prayer… And matched with your good humored, beautiful photo. Thanks so much for sharing, Amy!
Thank you Rochelle!