One other thing is coming to mind as I write this piece.
The *very first thing* I did when I came to Colombia was visit the museum of memory in Bogotá. Then the military museum. Then the memory house in Medellín.
Some people get defensive when I talk about the importance of honouring trauma - and I get it. Tough to visit Cartagena for a destination wedding, & be reminded that it was a MAJOR site of slave trade for centuries. But for me, it's non-negotiable. I always learn the history first. /×
Sexual assault, war PTSD Show more
Sexual assault, war PTSD Show more
Sexual assault, war PTSD Show more
Sexual assault, war PTSD Show more
Sexual assault, war PTSD Show more
Sexual assault, war PTSD Show more
Years later, I would be raped by a Colombian who'd been triggered into wartime PTSD by me saying "no". I was held overnight. I knew how to keep my wits. I survived. One day I'll tell the full story, but I was *so* struck by how he had his own coping mechanisms for the PTSD that led to my pain.
I don't come by my kindness out of ignorance. I sit *routinely* with trauma. I do not look away from cruelty.
It's why I know how essential it is to educate ourselves, & be kind.