Seen and Not Heard
For most of my childhood, I remained invisible to the adults who defined my world…
until I broke one of their precious RULES.
Then all hell broke loose.
SUBMISSION to “authority”…
OBEDIENCE to my parents and teachers…
PIETY before the church’s dogma and sacraments…
ALLEGIANCE to the flag…
ALL were expected without question.
A dozen times a day, my “superiors” extolled the virtues of my meekness and servitude… and punished the sinful “pride” of my curiosity and initiative…
all in the name of Almighty God, duty to country, and respect for my elders.
And so it went for thousands of days… trained to mutely embrace a world I did not create…
by people who were supposed to know better…
by people I trusted with my life…
by people who were supposed to LOVE me.
Existentialism Humanism blessed are the meek existentialism freedom god humanism indoctrination meaning of life patriotism Religion
Frank J Peter View All →
A uniquely burdened and blessed citizen of the world thinking and acting out loud!
Seen and not heard … yes, experienced that. But I also experienced abuse. Abuse overlooked, swept under the carpet. Abuse that destroyed a child’s identity, a child’s mind, a child’s chance at being normal; feeling love. A child that grew into an adult with too many insecurities and anxieties that it took way too many years to recover. To recover to a point where I believed in myself, loved myself, accepted my truths and stopped accepting the truths beat into my head. I will never be “seen and not heard again!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed. The violence of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse is an infinitely worse, and all too common, form of evil… with the power to steal not only childhoods, but entire lives. Glad that you had the strength, courage, and resilience to rise above. Thanks and peace.
LikeLike