“If I was lying on my deathbed and I had kept this secret and never ever did anything about it, I would be lying there saying, ‘You just blew your entire life. You never dealt with yourself,” – Caitlyn Jenner.

In early June, the world woke up to Bruce Jenner on the cover of Vanity Fair. Except this was not Bruce. This is Caitlyn. No, this was not a surprise nor was it a mistake. This was the beginning of a brand new journey for the Jenner and Kardashian family.

Whether you keep up with the Kardashians or not, you know how big they are in the public eye, from a tweet to a selfie the Kardashian lifestyle is everywhere among us. So when Jenner came out introducing herself as Caitlyn, controversy was all over.
I have heard everything when it comes to the topic. For example, “it is disgusting. HE is disgusting” Hold on one minute, he is a she. She also has a name. Caitlyn is not Bruce.

Do not call Caitlyn, “Bruce.” It’s incredibly disrespectful in my eyes. When she has worked so hard to be accepted and make this hard transition for herself and her family. Just respect it.

“Men cannot be women, it’s not possible. They can’t be us.” Well look at it this way, Jenner looks to be doing it just fine, also looking extremely beautiful while doing it. So what she can’t produce children, or the fact she had to undergo vigorous surgeries and take tons of hormones to be where she is. Who cares? It isn’t hurting you, nor is it affecting your everyday life. You can still work, go to school, live your life. Nothing is preventing you from accomplishing anything.
Although somehow, someone accepting who they are and taking action to become who they truly are is suddenly so wrong and obscene that we can’t begin to consider accepting it ourselves.

Soon after when news of her receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award surfaced, Jenner received many comebacks as to why she didn’t deserve it. In an article from the Los Angeles Times , Frank Deford from NPR said, “I can understand and sympathize with the torment
Bruce Jenner has endured all these years, but I don’t think it rises to the level of courage,” then later went on to say that courage is usually involved with overcoming something.

Maybe I’m wrong, but what Jenner has done is not only overcoming her own battle with reality and self identity – but the fear of judgment as well.

She has done something not many of us would have done if we were in her position. She stood up, made a change and made it known that it is okay. It’s okay to be who you know you are. It’s okay to do what makes you happy instead of sitting back, unhappy and letting everyone else in the world control you.
It wasn’t about the money, or the fame. In fact, anyone can do it. All it’s really about is how bad you want it. Do not ever tell me it was for publicity. I will argue until my point is through and done. Caitlyn Jenner had a mission. She had a point and her point was made. She is happy.
Isn’t that what life is all about? Being happy with who you are and being yourself?

Of course not all of us have a problem with accepting other peoples’ happiness. Or maybe it’s my overly large and understanding heart or the fact I was brought up to not judge the way people look, feel or if they stand funny that gives me the ability to not have an uncomfortable thought in my body towards the subject. Possibly it’s me who has the problem because I don’t see a problem.
It infatuates me that someone has the courage and ability to make such a drastic change in front of a world full of discriminating and judgmental individuals. At the same time encouraging and taking pain away from others who feel that they’re alone and “freaks” because they know they’re not who they should be and they need that little push to know, it really is okay.

Jenner made this change to her body to change something. Not only with her, but for many other people in the world. She is, and will continue to be an inspiration to thousands.
Instead of hiding out and cowering behind television screens with every cable network talking about her and her decision, she went out and made an impact.

It’s frustrating when I hear someone tell me how undeserving and gross she is, but those people are the same people telling everyone to “be themselves,” how will you continue to live in a world where everyday people are beginning to be themselves and start doing what’s good for them, when you can’t handle this?

I will never understand how Jenner felt before her transition, or how she even feels now, and I can’t ask anyone else to try to do the same. But please, try and understand how selfish and disgusting it sounds when you speak on something that could affect the person next to you. How will you judge someone so popular who kept it in, unhappy and hurting for so long, when you may never know how it could be affecting and hurting someone as close to you as your next door neighbor?