Dear Anita

It started snowing 🌨 at 1pm EST today. However, the snow will turn to rain later today and snow accumulations will be less than 0.5 inches.

Most precipitation in the air starts as snow, these snowflakes ❄ develop high in the atmosphere where the temperature is below 32⁰F. The weather currently is 34⁰F so the ground level temperature is above 32⁰F. The falling snow passes through the freezing layer (above the ground level) and comes into contact with warm air that melts the snow producing rain.

“Rain or Snow” 2010.atmos.uiuc.edu

Dear Anita

Michael Dillon was born Laura Maura Dillon on May 1st 1915 in the UK. Growing up Michael Dillon was very uncomfortable with his gender identity and experienced gender dysphoria, feeling more comfortable dressing as a man. It was very difficult for him to seek resources during this time.

He was the first transgender man to receive testosterone and gender affirming surgery to construct a penis (phalloplasty).

At age 24 he received testosterone hormones from Dr. George Foss. He medically transitioned and legally changed  from Laura Maura Dillon to Laurence Michael Dillon in 1939.

During 1942 in Bristol, England, Dr. Foss referred Michael Dillon to Harold Gillies, a plastic surgeon who helped Dillon with a phalloplasty.

After WWII ended in 1945, Michael Dillon completed his studies in Bristol becoming a prominent physician and pioneer in transgender history. Dr. Dillon’s most significant achievement is his book “A study in ethics and endocrinology” which provided medical doctors with care guidelines on how to treat trans patients today.

In 1958, the Daily Express news in the UK realized there was a discrepancy in the person listed as “Laura Dillon” in the aristocratic class and Michael Dillon. Michael Dillon protested that he had long identified as a male and that he still had valid lineage to the aristocratic line of his parents. However he was unsuccessful and discriminated against so he fled to India and became a Buddhist monk. He was the first British person to be ordained as a monk taking the name Jivaka. He felt accepted as a monk but his visa expired so he was forced to leave India.

On May 1, 1962 he completed his autobiography about his transition from female to male and how happy he felt as a transmale. He mailed the autobiography in an envelope and it was long unpublished but never lost. The autobiography titled “Out of the Ordinary: A life of gender and spiritual transitions” arrived from India to the desk of the publisher John Johnson in London where it was finally published in 2017.

Michael Dillon’s death cause is unknown since he died at the age of 47 in Dalhousie hospital. Some people speculate he might have been poisoned since no one in his family seemed to have accepted his transition.

Alex Ashcroft, “Michael Dillon: the 2 laws which could have saved him” Feb. 18th 2021 lgbtlawyers.co.uk

Michael Dillon “Out of the Ordinary: A Life of Gender and Spiritual Transitions” 2017 transreads.org

Dear Anita

It’s great that you read some parts of the book 📖.  Dr. Dillon was a transgender pioneer who paved the way for other trans folks in the world. I believe Dr. Dillon became a physician to help others who struggled with their gender identity but since it was very difficult for him during his time to find community he sought spiritual meaning in life.

I feel this passage from the Editors’ Introduction speaks strongly to me : ” There is nothing for man in this world, but conquest of his mind, of the way he takes the world in all its absurdities and pompous imaginations. What is it the Work teaches?  ‘Remember in this secret is, in this Teaching, not to try to change external circumstances because if you do not change yourself and the way you take the repeating events of life, everything will recur in the same way. As long as you remain as you are in yourself you will attract the same problems, same difficulties, same situation but if you change yourself your life will change. ‘ And, ‘you cannot reform the world, you can only reform your way of taking the world’. ”

Out of the Ordinary : A life of gender and spiritual transitions

I feel this is very powerful insight. Michael Dillon/Jivaka was hurt in his workplaces as a transgender male and he sought acceptance in a Buddhist monastery. I think in his spiritual path, he gained better understanding and awareness of his mind and better control so he could make decisions on his physical transition.

The editors note that Out of the Ordinary autobiography was divided into two parts: Conquest of the body and Conquest of the mind.

I believe that in his transition Dr. Dillon found peace of mind, finally belonging in a body that matched how his mind identified as. He realized that he couldn’t change the world or make all people accept him, he could only be true to himself and explore how to build himself up.

Dear Anita

I find that having peace of mind, and spiritual fulfillment is better than all the material things in the world. I believe that the world changes a little at a time, but doesn’t change quickly. Learning to be at peace with oneself, healing helps create one more light in the world. That one more light makes the glow brighter. Dr. Dillon was a pioneer for trans people helping raise awareness that there’s people outside the gender binary. Sometimes just being yourself and finding your spiritual purpose inspires others.

Dear Wittly

Thanks for sharing your self-care tips article.

I have an inner critic that I’m still working on healing things from. Taking time for self-care and not overworking, acknowledging the feelings helps us heal. Hugs.