Caitlyn and the science of choice

I could remember the first time I saw a transgender woman in my life that I didn't know what to say to her. For a few seconds I was bewildered by what I was seeing. At first I thought that "she" was a sort of artist who dressed to impress. This was in Utah in early 2006. I knew about effeminate women back home in Nigeria, but not transgendered women. I was a missionary volunteer working with my now former church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was battling a few things including perhaps naivety and culture shock. Encounter with this woman was the first time that I missed being enthralled by the transgender phenomenon. If anything, I should have been impressed, but I wasn't. I was merely sympathetic to her choice and wanted more than anything to "change" her mind about what she was saying. And her being. What in the world would make a man want to become a woman? It must be some sort of mental health issue.

You can then imagine why I haven't been so taken in by Bruce Jenner and his decision to become a woman named Caitlyn. What gave? Why did he decide after all these years to do this? I believe that the world would have been less shocked if he had come out gay. Yes, we aren't so shocked anymore when a white man declares he's been gay all his life but had to fit in with societal expectations. But this science experiment with becoming another gender is confounding to say the least. I read a few blog entries where Kris Jenner was reported to have voiced her disbelief or disappointment that she had lived with someone who had always wanted to be somebody else. Hello, it's called self discovery. Bruce Jenner had just discovered after all these years and three marriages (to women) that he would like to become Caitlyn.

The stories have started pouring in and the theorists are busy propounding one hypothesis or the other. Let me join them. I believe that Bruce Jenner started this transformation journey with his association with the Kardashians. It must have been awful living under the camera; having your life beamed on every day and not knowing what privacy meant anymore. If he had to endure all the media attention that his step daughters and wife got, why not try one of his own shows? It must be a difficult thing to live that way and not get much credit for one's efforts. Bruce was a star in his own right. But that wasn't enough. The American society seemed to adore women, giving them all of their investments in personal relationships. Now, what Bruce?

Caitlyn is going to be faced with making decisions. Choices matter here. He's done the huge part aided by science. His nipples don't feel numb anymore. His chest is fuller. He has to think like a woman; and that won't be a big chore. He had been practising that for a very long time. Caitlyn wouldn't have to marry again. And if she (change of person) now decides to become gay, that is marrying a fellow woman (transgender or not), bravo! She could still marry again. Why not? She has done it before; another massive stride in the field of choice. You mean, she won't make the air waves again? That this is it? With yet another marriage either to a man or a woman, Caitlyn will get us talking. Again. Wow! I wonder how it feels to crave attention. It must be a science. There must be formulaes for it because some appear to win better than others at gaining and retaining attention.

As a motivational speaker, I believe the new Bruce needs people to understand that life is about choices. We don't always love all the choices we make - this is the paradox, though - to truly live, we must love our choices. We must make them when we are fully aware of the consequences (or lack thereof) or our fight to make them (choices) bear no consequences. Caitlyn wants attention. She's the new diva. Who needs to live under the shadow of Kris Houghton and her daughters, letting them get all the star prize attention? Mbanu! She too must be nnukwu mmanwu not as a man who will live the rest of his life in regret, but as an Olympian whose goal is to clinch yet another gold medal here. Now for bravery. Do we see her making more money than the Kardashians in the future? Who's going to fund this journey? And the choice to remain a scientific experiment? Would she like to have children at some point? I don't understand the politics behind the science of changing gender. I wonder if she's just going to live her own life or want Kris to know that she's got a rival with the whole LGBT family right behind her. Oh! Kris like the other women are in the past. Hello, to a new world Caitlyn. Let me stop thinking out loud now, because as a woman I should truly be sympathetic to whatever happened to Bruce Jenner.