Be Brave
The other night, my girl in England hadn't eaten so, despite the late hour, she was out looking for food. She is alone in London right now as her partner is on a hiking trip in Sweden.
At a corner she stops and yields to a car. The car slows and a person hangs out the window and says, "Sorry mate". Then, with a BB gun, he shoots her in the chest about 5 times and speeds off.
She's not hurt but I wonder how long it took her to register what had just happened. I wonder how much time it took to verify that it was, and I use this term loosely, a harmless BB gun and not something else. Did she look down expecting blood?
She went home and reported the occurrence to the police via the internet, not speaking to a human. No one to say that you are alright. The mother in me wanted someone to tell her she's alright.
The mother in me envisioned a different scene, one that I don't want to write about. With the daily news of hate and ugliness here at home, I saw a different outcome. There's a part of me that never wants her to come home. Or if she does, maybe just to Portland or San Francisco where there seems to be more tolerance. The mom in me wants her to protect herself at any cost but when I follow that thread to the end, who could she possibly become?
I fear for her. I fear for me and the pain of watching her live life as her true self and seeing how there are people out there that will hate her without ever knowing how special she is, how caring and compassionate, that her high pitch laugh can fill an entire room, of her talent with photography, and her passionate desire to learn.
That little part of me is the one writing this post.
The other part of me says GO LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE and haters be damned. Show your light! Never hide it.
I need to find a balance. I want to be her best fan. I can't do that living in fear.
May we both continue to be brave.
“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.”
— Helen Keller
“Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
I would want to punch the perpetrator right in the throat. Your poor daughter. That must have been terrifying.
ReplyDeleteOh god, Linda. How terrible! I'm so sorry this happened.
ReplyDeleteI want to punch that SOB so hard and smash him so he never forgets. Maybe he'll wake up someday and regret that he is such an outrageous person and learn how to accept people for who they are. I am so sorry your daughter experienced that.
ReplyDeleteThat is frightening and hurts my heart. You are brave to let her spread her wings and she is brave for living as her true self.
ReplyDeleteSuch a terrible act of hate. I’m glad she is okay— may she never have to deal with anything like that ever again! (Debra She Who Seeks)
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrifying experience! I understand your fear for her. I hope you both can find peace about this incident.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to read this, I'm so glad she is ok. There is so much hate in the world today, we must do our best to combat it. It can't be allowed to become acceptable or normalized.
ReplyDeleteDid she know those people who shot her? If she did, that's hideous. If she didn't, it's just downright awful -- and either way, scary. Angry? Yes. And worried for her? Always. Oh Linda, I'm sorry you both have to experience this.
ReplyDeleteThat hurts my heart, too. Awful, hateful, mean people make this world a misery.
ReplyDeleteI have no words. This has become all too commonplace in the US, but the UK? My daughter lives there too. I always feel like she is in a safe place.
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