Wisdom

I attended a going away party tonight for one of my husband’s colleagues. As I sat there watching them interact with one another, it made me think about all the colleagues I was friends with during my accounting career. They were good friends during those years but not sustainable friends. They leave your life the minute you leave the company, not by choice but by circumstance.

These Gen X, Y, kids don’t understand. They believe the world revolves around them. They believe they know everything. What they don’t understand is they may be on the top the world today but tomorrow could be a very different story. They don’t have enough life experience to understand life is not always kind. I wish they all go through life without having any adversity. Sadly, adversity is a fact of life.

The lesson here is there are people who you choose to remain in your life for a reason. They will support and love you through the ups and downs. They comfort you during hard times, they are your biggest cheerleaders when you are picking yourself up, and they share in your happiness when life is treating you well. Embrace your friends, embrace the moments, be thankful for the people who matter.

PTSD

PTSD is an insidious disorder. It is often associated with only those who were in war zones. People who have survived domestic violence also experience PTSD. It is often a reflexive reaction to something said or done which takes one back to a very unpleasant experience. The reaction is an in the moment, uncontrollable, reaction.

Sadly, those who don’t understand make those of us who are coping and trying to deal with PTSD feel ashamed and unworthy. Those who have not had severe trauma in their lives will never understand. All the survivors of domestic violence ask is that you have some compassion. It is not fun to live a life where you fear bodily harm and/or are subject to verbal and psychological abuse . Those of us who survive try to deal with PTSD as best we can. Some of us do a better job than others. Yet, no matter how successful we are or how hard we try to understand the triggers, there will be moments where we are unsuccessful.

Please try to be kind. Understand it does not mean people have an anger issue. Yes, anger is a component but it does not define the personality of those who are suffering from this disorder. Listen to those of us who have the courage to speak up about our PTSD. Being critical only traumatizes again. Please be kind, helpful, and most of all understanding. It is hard to make PTSD completely go away but many of us are working very hard to control our emotions and not have reflexive responses to the trigger. Please be part of the solution, not add to the problem.

Summer Days

Summer seems to fly by these days. The streets of Los Angeles bring back wonderful memories of summers past. Los Angeles has seen many changes, yet there is a part of me capable of seeing it through the eyes of a fourteen year old.

The Sixties were a very special time in LA. Memories of taking a drive down Sunset Blvd. from it’s beginning at the Pacific Ocean all the way to Hollywood, concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, bike rides around Marina del Rey, and spending the day with friends in Manhattan Beach.

A 25 cent bus ride could take you to Westwood to spend the day at UCLA. On a really adventurous day you could spend 50 cents to go to Hollywood. How times have changed!