09 « December « 2008 « The People Behind My Eyes

Conversation with Dr. D

Dr. D: How did that make you feel?

No One: Guilty, I felt guilty.

Dr. D: Why?

No One: Because I felt relieved that I’m not the only person in the world that’s been chained. I’m not by myself.

Dr. D: (with an understanding nod) Yeah.

No One: When I was younger and I heard my sister crying or begging in the other room I felt relieved. It was her turn and not mine. As long as she screamed I was safe. When she stopped it was my turn.

Dr. D: (with an understanding nod) Yeah.

Conversation inside my head:

I can’t believe you’re telling him this. You shouldn’t tell him this.

I’m done. I’m ready to leave. Lets go.

We can’t just get up and leave.

Lets go.

Can we lay down.

We can’t lay down here, we’ll look stupid if we double over now. He’ll ask why.

Then you’ll start telling him everything.

Be quiet you guys. I think No One stopped talking. How long have we been quiet? Does anyone know how long we’ve been quiet?

Does anyone know what happened?

We’re okay. We’re okay. We’re okay. I’m okay.

I want to go home.

Let’s take a trip to Belgium where a guy for years molested young girls and left them to starve to death in his cellar. His wife and another female knew about the girls that had been taken but said nothing. They killed and tortured numerous children and at least one adult.

A young boy in California wondered into a business. He was starved, chained and in underwear. He’d been kept as a prisoner, sexually assaulted and beaten.

Here in my own state two “people” caged and starved their adopted kids and walked away with a $500 fine and a few short years of probation. WOW! The value of a child’s life is down to a few hundred dollars. One has to wonder what sort of message is being sent to the adopted children caged at the once respected Four Seasons Farm where equine services for the disabled were offered.

In Indiana two young boys were set on fire 4 times before being permanently removed from their home. I’ve talked about them on this blog several times.

My point is this, the people we hear about on the news aren’t that far away. Survivors of this magnitude of trauma are our neighbors, friends and family. We are teachers, doctors and grocery store clerks. This is not happening “just” to people in the news or people across the country.

Continue reading ‘We’re Your Neighbors’