Cory Richards Instagram – For me, there is a difference between being a victim and living in victimhood. I wrestle with it because it seems that in some ways our culture rewards victimhood. That said, people ARE victims at times…of violence, abuse, racism, sexism, xenophobia, war, and natural disasters. So once something happens, how do not let ourselves be defined by it? Again, I wrestle.
I’ve talked about the idea of identifying with labels over the last few weeks. But I want to be clear that labels can also be useful for a time. They are helpful for giving us a framework for understanding some of the things that may have happened to us. They give our pain a voice. They lend clarity to the hurt and confusion that the world deals out. It feels safe. But it isn’t freedom.
I don’t have an answer. I guess in my experience, as I moved through and processed all the hard and scary shit I’d been through, I started to see how identifying with it was keeping me trapped. In some ways, even being a ‘survivor’ keeps us tethered to trauma. After I exhausted the story, the only option left was to let the story go. It all just became stuff that happened. Honestly, I lived in victimhood for far too long because it felt safe…but fuck freedom feels good.
THOUGHTS? | Posted on 19/Jun/2024 20:30:00
