Since starting this blog, many people who have stumbled upon it have shared with me their own stories. Some told me their whole story. Some gave me a very abridged version. Some told me simply that they had been sexually abused or assaulted. Others shared that someone close to them had experienced this trauma. Not long ago, I was sitting with a friend in Fazoli's crying about her story, and then laughing together at ourselves for crying unexpectedly in Fazoli's!
According to http://www.rainn.org, 1 in 6 women will be sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime, and I believe that is a conservative estimate since many still never disclose or report the incident, and 80% of them will be under 30. It is now fairly common knowledge that sexual assault is an out of control problem in our country. However, hearing the numbers is very different from talking to the victims and survivors. When I realized how many people I have been interacting with have been assaulted, I started to view the world in a different way. Most of the people I've known here in Lafayette still do not know my story. Therefore, many of them have not had the opportunity to share if they have experienced that trauma.
My point is simply that you never know what has happened in someone's life to make them the way they are. I always try to remember this when dealing with someone behaving unpleasantly. Maybe they're caring around a lot of anger. Maybe they are weeping on the inside, filled with a sorrow they cannot face. Maybe they are so caught up in their own situation, they can barely even see anyone else around them. I mean, who would ever guess that taper candles freak me out? I try to be a little more patient with people, because you just don't know. Wouldn't you want someone to show you a little mercy in less than ideal circumstances?
That being said, I don't think being a victim is ever an excuse for bad behavior. While we are often unable to control what happens TO us, we can control, to an extent, how we respond to it, how we choose to live our lives, and the people we become. Maybe if we can all show a little more patience, and become more aware of our own behaviors, the world may just be a little more pleasant.
So much for "no more blogging" this week! I'm an addict!! ;-) Happy Thanksgiving!
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