Post 3.12 - Identity
Given the uniqueness of my own personality, the bullying I've endured, and just the androgynous nature of my behavior, I believe I've learned to be very open to the diversity of other people. I grew up surrounded by accented English thanks to the immigrant communities in which I lived, so I think I was used to people being different in a variety of ways. My mother likes to tell me the story of when I was 3 or so, and I encountered a toddler with a severe stutter. She tells me I never reacted to it, other than to listen intently until the child got his words out and then respond as if nothing was amiss. She likes to tell me stories like that. I think people are, to paraphrase Gaga, born with certain traits, and accepting them as who they are is a sign of affection to those who are friends and respect to those who are strangers. But then I think of the children being raised by David Stocker and Kathy Witterick in Toronto, Ontario, and I wonder what they are in for. If you ar...