Serenity....
The Serenity Prayer
God
grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to
change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
*
Generally speaking, we live in a very intolerant world. I am constantly amazed at the injustice and inhumanity that so many people are forced to endure simply because of fear, hatred, ignorance, intolerance, and indifference. I am not so naive to believe that I can single-handedly change much of that. Nor am I optimist enough to believe that these things will change significantly in my lifetime.
I do not consider myself to be a religious person in the typical context. In fact, I make a specific distinction between being "spiritual" and being religious. That is a far-too-deep discussion for another forum and another day....
I find that the Serenity Prayer truly exemplifies my outlook on life. In fact, as I started my transition I owned one single necklace. It had a dove of peace on the front, and the Serenity Prayer engraved on the back...as a constant reminder of those words and what they represent.
I will use the space on this page to highlight some things that I find difficult to accept. I certainly don't dispute that others have the right to share their own views, which may be very different from my own, but I expect others to be held accountable for their preachings and actions. I may not be able to change them, but that doesn't mean that I have to sit here and do nothing about them, either. At the very least, I can provide visibility of these things to a larger population in hopes that it sparks a reaction.
If you are in a good mood, you might not want to continue with the details on page, as the things on here may make you frustrated and angry. Those were my own initial emotions. However, as I think about it now, I think my current emotion is disappointment. I suppose my expectations from others is too high sometimes, but I won't let that stop me from hoping....
Bob Lonsberry
I lived in Rochester, NY for 15+ years. In fact, we started our family there, and in many ways I still consider the area home. With a population in excess of a million people, Rochester embodies small city charm and feel. In fact, it was recently recognized as one of America's "Most Helpful and Friendly" cities by American Demographics.
Rochester has always been a center for cultural diversity and freedom. In pre-civil days Rochester was a major terminal on the pre-Civil War Underground Railroad -- a northern station for assisting runaway slaves across the border to Canada and to freedom (in fact, abolitionist Frederick Douglass is buried there). Susan B. Anthony, the leader in the fight for Women's right to vote, lived in Rochester, and her house there is a National Historic Landmark.
Today, though, Rochester is better known for its shrines to George Eastman (founder of Kodak); headquarters for corporate giants Xerox, Kodak, and Bausch & Lomb; the world's largest public collection of lilacs; and its dozens of parks and green spaces that pinwheel out from the city center. Nearby are the Finger Lakes region's world-class wineries and the spectacular waterfalls and river gorge of Letchworth State Park, the "Grand Canyon of the East."
The largest radio station in Rochester is 1180 WHAM. This 50,000 watt giant is the highest rated news/talk station in America. Bob Lonsberry hosts the highest-rated radio talk show in Rochester from atop this lofty perch.
Mr. Lonsberry's credentials (reported here directly from his web page) are impressive:
Recently, Mr. Lonsberry chose to aim his considerable clout directly at transsexuals, and at a specific one of us in particular.
The Open Door Mission is an institution in downtown Rochester. It provides free meals and shelter for the homeless, as well as serving many other important humanitarian roles for the city and the entire region. Its rise to prominence was due largely to the efforts to its Executive Director, Rev. Kenneth Fox, who was a respected and much loved civic leader. Rev. Fox retired in 2001 after successfully managing the Open Door Mission for 25 years.
In September, 2002 Rev. Fox wrote a very personal letter to a few close, trusted friends. In it he explained that he had been battling gender issues since childhood, and would be transitioning to be Kaye Fox. Mr. Lonsberry was one of these friends.
Apparently, Mr. Lonsberry felt that this needed to become public knowledge. On his program of 9/26/2002, he outed Kaye Fox on his afternoon radio show by reading portions of Kaye's letter, and responding with his own letter of reply. It became a huge event in Rochester, featured as the top news story of the day on local television news broadcasts. It has also galvanized Rochestarians who loved and supported and respected Rev. Fox, and who now needed to evaluate just what this news means to them.
I have provided a link to Mr. Lonsberry's letter, as well as to one of his other recent columns. I refrain from giving my views on what he says, as I'll let his own words speak for themselves. Please be sure to click on the "View The Comments" link at the bottom of the page to read responses of those who heard the show.
| Date | Title | Description/Link |
| 9/22/2002 |
Response to private letter from a friend announcing her upcoming transition... |
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| 10/22/2002 |
Mr. Lonsberry shares his views on corporate diversity initiatives... |
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My Serenity Links