Independence Day?

4th of July fireworks Washington Monument (SSGT. Lono Kollars)

A lot of people want to become a lot of things these days, but is it that great? If you’re a woman locked in a man’s body and you finally find freedom through sexual reassignment surgery (SRS), are you going to be happy? Is Caitlin Jenner happier than when she was Bruce? Conversely if you’re a man locked in a woman’s body, is life suddenly going to turn around? SRS is still elective surgery since it is something you choose, unlike say an appendicitis or open heart, which address life threatening conditions.  So you're making a big step and there's no doubt that there'll be some wonderful qualitative changes that will also affect those closest to you. Sure it’s nice that I can finally use that women’s room I always thought I’d feel more comfortable in rather than standing in front of urinals next to a set of creatures whose habits of shaking off their "Jumbo’s" (LBJ word for his prick) is not what you particularly felt comfortable with. Yes it will be nice if you’ve become a mister to finally be freed from the women’s locker room with its catty competitive glances. Men may care, but they're too self-involved to care too much. It’s unavoidable to traffic in stereotypes, though stereotype is the lingua franca of sexual identity in an almost pernicious way. But let’s face it, after all the excitement is over, after all is said and done, you’re still a prisoner of your body and you still have deal with the monotony and misery of every day life. Contrary to popular belief, existential moments when one questions the meaning of the universe don’t occur when one's going through something. Rather they’re like post partum depression. They occur after the big event, when you suddenly realize that you have to go on living.