Reading Response: Oranges and Sweet Sister Boy

    This essay “Oranges and Sweet Sister Boy” written by Judy Ruiz, delved deep into the heart of society and into the mind of the average person, trying to understand the complex workings of the human psyche.  In this piece, Judy has been confronted with her brothers life-altering decision and, in what would appear to be a somewhat vein attempt, she compares and contrasts her own life and experiences in a search for understanding.
   
     This essay took on, what could easily be considered one of the most controversial subjects in all of history.  Why are we born one sex or the other?  Why do some feel that they cannot be comfortable or be who they are in there own body?  How much must we endure before the “sex change operation” becomes our only choice? 
   
     For me this essay demonstrated good use of metaphor with comments such as, “the world is like an orange” , but more importantly it revealed much about the process of human perception, comprehension, and understanding.  We as humans have a very hard time making sense of  or deciphering the meaning behind choices that are not our own.  Judy’s transsexual brother Carl has made a decision that he feels is in his best interest, and though it may be life altering, from his perspective it would seem that there is no other choice.  She deems him “ hell bent on castration”. Her writing dictates that, to her, the concept of actually having a sex change is completely foreign.  His life decision in this matter completely transcends her understanding. 
   
     Judy’s incorporation of dream sequence in her writing, I felt, laid down the fundamental grounds for her quest of understanding.  Though dreams are just dreams, I think that we are constantly searching for truth, through dream, in our everyday life.  These dream appear to demonstrate the insanity created by her attempt at acceptance. She seems the type of person that, even though this choice is only going to slightly affect her life, is still trying to rationalize a choice that to her is irrational.
  
     Humankind tends to demonstrate this behavior in many ways, in our personal search for understanding.  Through the centuries of our development here on Earth, I think that we have come a long way in understanding one another, and much of the fear and hate that we hold for the unknown has been replaced by a “live and let live” creed.  However, this only goes so far.  Humans have an innate fear of the unknown and things that we do not understand.  I can only imagine what it must be like to be so uncomfortable on your own body.  Or to have to suffer so much, at the hands of your own father, for these feelings.  It may be that we will, on a personal level, never be able to understand the choices and decisions of another, but that should never hold us back from caring or trying to help in any way possible.  Sometimes we just need someone to talk to or to lean on.  I believe that at the conclusion, Judy, came to feel the same way.