I have one more thing to say for now on this issue of respecting each other and being willing to listen, then Im going to have myself a good day. There is a great deal of pressure in the movement for all of us to be unified. Before anyone can even consider unification, though, we have to be able to reach a level of mutual respect. Ive always loved the old saying about commanding respect rather than demanding it. Im very capable of entering into a conversation with someone I disagree with and showing them respect while maintaining self respect. By showing respect, I mean listening to what they have to say without taking offense unless something disrespectful is said. That last part is how I maintain self respect. Im not obligated to listen to anyone lash out at me personally. We constantly talk about self care and eliminating toxic people from our lives, yet the movement wants us to break that rule in order to promote some kind of utopian ideal. We survivors share a common bond, yet each of us has endured circumstances that may be specific to ourselves. With such diversity, there is the presence of unavoidable conflict. How we respond to our differences determines the success or failure of the collective survivor contribution. Bottom line, dont expect me to associate with toxic individuals for the sake of a cause. If youre aligned with someone who does nothing but tell you how youre doing things wrong and they proclaim to be in the right simply because of having survived trauma, sooner or later youll realize that the goal you seek to achieve is not going to be attained and it will have nothing to do with me. Forward movement requires a forward attitude.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 11:53:24 +0000
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