I have spent the past 7 years getting to know the relationship between the trauma we experiences and the lives we go on to lead as we grow and mature. Does it matter if the trauma is generational? Does it matter if we acknowledge the trauma early? What about if we never acknowledge it? What happens when we don't even know what it means to acknowledge it? How informed are our leaders, disciplinarians, those who decide how to administer justice, etc. regarding trauma? The questions go on. The phenomenon of trauma and how it perpetuates itself and penetrates so deeply into the intricate layers of the fabric of our society is both scary and fantastical.
One of my very good friends, a United States Marine Corps veteran, is walking through one of the most difficult periods any person could ever walk through. From a small town in Pennsylvania where the rural culture is both celebrated and simply endured simultaneously, the pursuit of becoming trauma-informed is still somewhat of "far fetched" idea. You jut don't talk about things. You have an outlook, you have feelings, you act, you choose surroundings, and you put one foot in front of the other. Usually, you don't stop to ask "but why?"
In a near perfect society, we could identify trauma early, address it, prevent it from recurring, and get equipped to handle it so much more efficiently. Slowly, we are starting to embrace this notion as a culture. SLOWLY. So slow, it is heartbreaking to see friends and family take the long and hard path around and feel helpless to stop it or make it better. Old habits die hard, and you already know- It isn't a near perfect society.
While maintaining my friend's privacy, I want readers to know that this is a fundraiser to pool funds to pay for a legal appeal. A bad evening turned into a bad year, which is turning into a bad decade or longer. Small towns don't have the resources to address root problems, and people without the luxury of disposable income end up doing one of two things upon the first sight of legal trouble: throwing themselves at the mercy of the court whether a situation has been fully articulated or not, or, trying to defend themselves with state-paid counsel that often stands no chance when the same state needs convictions.
In a nutshell, I am just one pretty decent person who knows another pretty decent person who is at the beginning of understanding trauma.... and who needs help. Help to hire someone to believe in them and give them a chance for someone to see the whole picture.
