I have noticed I'm getting a lot of social media input on "so-called" trauma, estranged families, adult children who have rejected their parents, and toxic therapy.
I remember in higher education circles, about six months to a year after March 13, 2020, we started to hear about 'trauma-informed pedagogy." It was all the rage. I hope it helped someone. I thought it was a bit much.
There is trauma perceived and trauma objectively experienced.
Physical assault, personal watching of physical assault and murder, injury from accidents or war, severe illness, psychological abuse - these are trauma. Those who saw, on site, Charlie Kirk's murder, yes.
Being contradicted, hearing about abuse, hearing bigotry when the person who spoke it is unaware or out of date on certain terminology. Those who watched the Charlie Kirk murder over and over on social media feeds, that is self-inflicted trauma.
Trauma is real, but like stress, it affects people differently. And sometimes not for years. I am not diminishing it. I am questioning how we define it and how we make ourselves into victims.
In thinking about writing my memoir, I found myself trying to find those things that are hot-button topics that would make for good back-of-book blurbs about what my life has included. Yeah, there is some direct and indirect trauma, I guess. Would others think it trauma? Probably. Do I need to write about it and put it out in the world?
The ultimate question. Even more, what would be my purpose? Sympathy, to profit, or to connect with others, especially in regards to the Kallman's Syndrome?
It's a serious question for a writer.
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