Perspective

I have been at my current job for over 6 years and people have often commented on my positive attitude and the fact that I’m often smiling. I end up with nicknames like smiley, sunshine, and bubbles. One person recently looked at me and told me I must be on some kind of drugs because no one is that happy at work. What she fails to realize is that happiness is a choice and it’s all about perspective.

 

Prior ending up in my current career, I spent some time working as a 911 dispatcher. This experience changed my life completely.
Imagine working in a room so dark you don't know who is sitting beside you, illuminated by four computer screens in front of you, two more to your right and a phone system that looks like it could help land an airplane. Others sit nearby talking in calm voices, where you hear tidbits of one-sided conversations such as, "where is the gun now?" or "how many times have you tried to kill yourself before?"
A call comes in. A young boy in a terrified voice says, I think my parents just killed each other.
This was my typical day as a 911 dispatcher. Fresh out of college with a criminal justice degree I was idealistic. I was in the hiring process for six months, which is considered a short amount of time. 90% of applicants don’t make it through the process, which included a group interview, psychological evaluation, physical, and a polygraph.

 

I was in the 10 percent that get hired and I was determined to change the world and make difference. And for a while, I did. I learned 250 codes and signals. I aced the tests and, in a short time, I was beginning to handle the toughest calls without assistance.

 

But making a difference came at a cost. Over time, the amount of pressure to learn everything quickly began to take its toll. I would get up at 3 or 4 am one week and then get home around 1 or 2 am the next week. Despite this erratic schedule, I no longer felt tired. I have no idea what I was eating, because I wasn’t hungry either.  

 

For weeks at a time, I had very little contact with any family or friends, because my schedule was so unpredictable and often, I was only off of work when they were sleeping. I made friends in the training classes who were going through the same things I was, and that made it somewhat bearable.

 

I told myself that this was all worth it. After all, this is what I wanted to do. I majored in Criminal Justice to change the world. I couldn’t quit now. I was at the top of my training class. One week I took over 20 calls from suicidal people. I was an expert on talking people down and distracting them until help arrived. I didn’t take into consideration the toll that this job was truly putting on me.

 

During my last training class, we listened to some recorded calls. One included a dispatcher who couldn’t understand the accent of the screaming woman on the other line. The response was delayed. I knew it wasn’t the dispatcher’s fault but I never considered how I would feel if my lack of understanding or comprehension of what was being said delayed a response.

 

After hearing that call, I knew in that moment, that despite all of the training, preparation, and time I had put in, that this was not the job for me.

The day that I quit, I drove home with a smile on my face. I had no plan, no job to fall back on, and my family thought I was crazy for giving up my first "real job”.

The reality was, instead of changing the world, the world changed me. The lessons I learned as a dispatcher were invaluable. I learned that things can always, always be worse. The stresses we typically experience in our day-to-day lives are minor. The reality is, our days are numbered and they are precious, so I choose happiness and I challenge you to do the same! :)

 

Fault and Blame

"Sam, you were drugged and raped. You were not at fault, not even a little."
"You're wrong," she said as tears spilled from her cheeks. "He told me the whole time it was happening that it was my fault. I should have fought harder and screamed louder. I wore a short dress. I left my drink unattended. I did everything wrong."

This excerpt breaks my heart every time I read it. At the time I wrote it, I thought I understood. God knows I've done my share of blaming myself for things that weren't my fault.  What disheartens me is the sheer volume of people (male and female) I see on the message boards and Facebook groups for survivors of trauma who feel this exact same way.

These survivors become victims of their own minds and often, as a result of something that wasn't their fault, their lives spiral out of control. They lose their sense of security and sometimes their jobs. They lose their families and friends in some instances. They lose all semblance of order in their lives simply because not only are they blaming themselves, society is blaming them as well.

When I see these posts, I try to convince the survivors of trauma that they're wrong. I try to be there for them. I tell them how special they are and that they were made to fill a purpose and that that are wonderful people and nothing will change them. Then I get angry. After being victimized, there should be nothing but an outpouring of love for someone who has gone through a trauma like rape. The bottom line is, something needs to change.

Society as a whole tends to blame the victims of rape and it's disgusting. If you blame the rape victim because her clothes were provocative, using that same logic, you must also blame the bank that was robbed because its contents were provocative.

As simple as it sounds, women do not get raped because they were drinking or dressed provocatively. Women (and men) get raped because someone raped them. There is a place for being proactive and being aware of surroundings. However, we need to flip the script. Instead of teaching our college and high school students how not to get raped, the focus needs to be changed on not raping and the definition of consent. There are two ways to stop and help prevent rape. 1. Don't rape people 2. Don't make excuses for rapists.

I challenge anyone that has ever made a generalization about a survivor of rape or domestic violence to imagine for a moment that you were in the shoes of that person. Imagine what it must feel like to be completely violated and have your support system crumble around you. Think of how helpless the survivor must feel to be blamed and treated like they're lying or at fault. I pray that you never have to experience something like this, but compassion is key. Treat people with love. Hurt people hurt people. They hurt themselves and others. The judgment and blaming of rape survivors needs to end. 

He reached for her hand and she let him slip the ring back on her finger. Tears welled up in her eyes again as he hugged her, but they were tears of relief. He hadn't run away. He didn't hate her. He didn't think she was wrong. Even if she blamed herself, he didn't blame her. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Thanks...for being a friend," said Samantha.
"I'll always be your friend," Charlie replied. "No matter what."


I hope and pray that every rape or domestic violence survivor has someone like Charlie Cartwright in their corner. They deserve someone who will listen and be kind and understanding, regardless of what has happened. I pray today that every survivor will find the support system that he or she needs.
We all deserve to love and be loved. A survivor of this type of violence deserves and needs an undeniable and incredible amount of love and support. We have a moral obligation to take care of others who are suffering. You never know when your words of kindness or your simple act of love will have an undeniable or life-changing effect on someone else. It's those simple acts that can mean the difference between life and death. Do something positive with your days. Listen to someone when they tell you something. Believe them fully, even if it's hard or if you're initially skeptical. Give people the love and understanding you would want if you were faced with the same situation. That's true kindness and compassion.


Should you be interested in checking out No Man Sam, don't buy it...it will be on a free promotion from 4/30-5/2 on Amazon.com. The purpose of this blog post was not to promote the book. I just get infuriated when I see all of the rape and domestic violence blaming and shaming that goes on in our culture. Love is so important and should be the focus of all that we do :) Thank you for reading!