Trauma

RCS Posts: Who among us has not suffered trauma, physical, mental, emotional trauma                 

 

             Trauma, especially long lasting trauma, has mostly negative effects on us. It often wounds us, scars us, and trains us. Yes, trains us; teaches responses and habits and points of view. The training often results in learning that is counter productive in many life situations. 

 

            A prison term is often powerfully traumatizing. Prison wounds and trains. It leaves scars and engraves memories. And, of course, it changes the course of a life, for life. Its a sort of life sentence. 

            Months in certain military situations changes one similarly. There are reasons that we say war is hell.

            In one's lifetime there might occur a variety of trauma. A crippling accident and the death of one's child are dramatic and serious examples. However, few traumatizing situations are institutionalized and as socially sanctioned as are war and prison.

            We now have more of our fellows in prison for less reason then ever; more than any other nation or country. We pay a lot to traumatize others. Such payments may in time be traumatizing in themselves. We need to become aware that liberated prisoners are in need of help. Sometimes part of the help he needs may be called spiritual. He(or she) may need retraining in their craft or profession. She may benefit greatly from support to attend weekly meetings with recovering persons with similar trauma.

            A prisoner or a kidnapped person has probably too long suffered traumatizing mental pressure and is in need of care and a reintroduction to society. A man we have trained to kill for us and has killed for us needs similar reintroduction and care.

            A prisoner has, from his very release, suffered a moral deformity. How much deformation may he have suffered during his term as a prisoner? Still his sudden freedom is another trauma. 

            Saying, and knowing, that we too have suffered trauma does little to change the reality of another who has so suffered. Telling him (and her) of what you have suffered and listening to him tell what he has suffered may do a bit to heal that suffering. Perhaps even you and others could benefit from a kind of debriefing. Sharing a hurtful, angering, desocializing, embittering, experience with another who has so suffered has proved healing for many. Such interchange often seems to ease the heart and also to more usefully arrange the memories.

            However, we need to keep in mind a kidnap victim, a prisoner, a warrior  Has other needs: food, housing, clothing, health care, education, and more. Perhaps more than anything a good income well earned.

            After the shock of release from what has often been a painful demeaning situation,has settled, bitterness often comes. Release is a relief but, one has been hurt and hurt often turns to anger. With the passage of time and, hopefully, some help that anger may turn to a kind of bitterness. The bitterness is not unnatural but, it does not make for a happy camper.  One may go on to suffer a long term of an unpleasant disillusionment and bitterness for  damn good reasons 

 There there may be more to come.

                                                                            by Richard

 

 

Got to Thinking About Chemistry

RCS Posts "science:" Chemicals have effects on us: good, bad, and all in between, depending upon our knowledge and our actions.

 

                 I know that for many chemistry is not the greatest topic and on top of that all my memories are not great. However we do know that there is a lot of chemistry in our lives and we are usually aware that their effects on us are bad and good and, a lot in between. 

                As I thought of chemistry I remembered how I had mixed "Ingredients" in lots of little bottles I had collected when not much more than a toddler. 

                 Next I thought about my '"experiments" with alcohol when I was about eight. 

                After that I remembered a rather nice chemistry set my parents got for me when I as about eleven.  My younger brothers got deeply into it before I had explored it much. My little brothers ate much of their "experiments." At the time I might have had some hope that those experiments of their might lead to really terrible stomachaches. 

                Then came to mind a time that I was looking for a classroom in a high-school new to me. In the course of this process I walked into a classroom and saw on the wall a abundantly daunting chart. Next I saw a teacher sitting at a desk and asked him about the chart. He told me it was the periodic tables. I asked, "Of what?"  He said "Chemical elements.  I thanked him and as I walked out I thought, "No chemistry for me." I had forgotten to ask about my class.

                But...chemistry effects all of us and we do have some responsibility for our own well-being. 

                As I glanced through an article on, I guess, the ecology of chemistry, I began to think "toxic," "toxic chemicals." Sorry.

Then the questions began to come:

~ How can I find out about the toxicity of the chemicals in my life? Our lives?

~ Who can help us get the fact straight?

~ What are the chemicals in my life?

~ Who will help us to find out how toxic a given chemical is?

~ Who wants to confuse us about the facts? 

~ What do we want? need? expect? deserve?

~ What symptoms are there? Would on need an antidote?

~ How can we get what we want?

~ How can we find out how a chemical concoction is best used? Is there an effective and less toxic substitute.

~ Is there a chemical which is never toxic?

~ How are we as a people determining sound environmental practices?

                Sometimes when the questions start they just just keep coming.

                I believe that some of the answers are likely to be very important to us. Very important to the US.

                It is OK to reread the questions above.

                My ignorance of chemicals, chemistry, and governance effects chemicals not at all. It does effect me and may effect you. I am willing to be willing to learn and to co-operate.

                                                           by Richard Sheehan

                 All of your  comments are important to me. Constructive ones are supper important.Any comment is great. Comments please. Even comments about my spelling are wonderful.A comment about content is very, very good. If they are negative they are great. I am not a fast learner, but even a negative comment can be a great learning aid. 

                                                                RCS

 

Boulder Dam Memories

 RCS Posts history: Memories of an early visit to the great Hoover Dam in the desert.

            They begin with times during WWII. You may know WWII as The Second World War. I knew it as The War. But this is not exactly about that war.

            My father was driving us around the U.S. Southwest. It was a big deal, with gas, oil, tires, and tubes being rationed as a part of the war effort. That brings back a lot of memories. Many things were rationed and lines to get them were long. We stood in lines for meat butter, and nylons. My father may have been combining touring with looking into new work. However, I will try to stick with the "Boulder Dam" story.

            Soon we were at that new dam and parked right on it. Then we were going down on an elevator to below water level. I was wide eyed, looking, and listening, perhaps with my heart beating faster than usual. On the elevator were some workmen who were still working on the dam. My father was talking with them. I think they were talking more about the war, the depression, and the president, than about the dam. For the times, a great dam.

            We saw some plaques telling about the great Hoover Dam, the great desert lake that it formed and the electricity that it was providing. The workmen on the elevator were telling my my father that they called the dam Boulder Dam, in part because of the great boulders moved while building it. But mostly the did not like to call it Hoover Dam, because Hoover had been such a bad president that he didn't deserve to have the dam named after him. They did not want the dam to be named after him.

            President Hoover had been of the Republican party. The President at the time was FDR, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, of the Democratic Party. Most people liked President Roosevelt and so did the workmen. Both parties were different then from now. FDR is the first president of which I have living memories. I am back in memories of more than 70 years ago, damn.

            I have just looked at an old newspaper online. It was dared March 4th 1929 and in it I read "Herbert Clark Hoover is inaugurated as President of the United States." A bit father along it goes on. "He announces tht the government should assist and encourage these movements of of collective self-help." That announcement makes me think that he may deserve to have the dam named after him. 

            I do not remember those "movements of collective self help." They were before my time. Still, they have a pleasant ring to them.

            But, I acknowledge that I have liked the name Boulder Dam since that family visit there.

            FDR was our president then and he was OK.

            President Hoover may have died in 1964, I think. If so he live long and prospered. The year 1964 felt like a turning point in US history. The country felt different after that, especially the politics. About that time everyone seemed to have begun to use the word "them" when speaking of the government. Before then I remembered everyone using "us" and "we" when speaking of the government. We didn't say "the government" we said "our government."

            Anyway President Hoover was a Progressive Republican and raised a Quaker. All to the good. He was interested in getting rid of inefficiency in business and government. Sounds good to me. He was president  as our country fell into economic depression. Tough on him and nearly everyone else. He lost some points and votes because he supported the unpopular Prohibition of the drinking of alcohol.

            Hoover Dam was part of a good public works program designed as a practical method to get wealth flowing and put people to work. The dam is still a useful part of our national infrastructure. Hoover deserves some credit for that program.

            I might find incentive to write about FDR later.

            Writing this little piece has brought many memories to me. I remembered much of the dramatic beauty of the American Southwest, our awareness of economics and politics, the World War, the high hopes, the memories of a child

            We have a lot to learn as we continue to interpret the doings and happenings of our not so distant past. We will need all of our experience, good sense, and cooperative skills as we move into our future. 

            Thank you to those who use our comment section.

            How far back do your early memories go? The 1990s? The 80s, '70s? "60s? Tell us a bit? 

            I appreciate your visit and reading.

            RCS