Trauma, it seems, is the latest demographic.
It’s not just with young women. And it’s not just with the elderly. And it’s not just with colored people. And it’s not just with the disabled. And it’s not just with one or two or three people or families or communities or countries. It’s with a global population of 8.2 Billion people.
As of late, whenever I hear about all these people who seem to be targeted because of their trauma, I start to wonder: What’s their favorite food or film? When’s the last time they laughed? The last time they cried? Were they an only child or did they have siblings? Who were their friends? I want to know a person. Not just a statistic that shows up in a headline that diminishes them into nothing more than one incident that they didn’t even choose.
Just think: we all have bad shit happen to us but do you really want the world to remember you for that bad shit or do you want them to remember you for you, for your goals and dreams, for your hopes and desires, for your philosophies and accomplishments? And worse, if you try to explain your trauma to someone else, would you really want them to reduce it to a facet of your status as member of a minority demographic? Would you want them to tell you you’re just one of many? That your story is identical to every other? That your trauma is now your key demographic?
Don’t get me wrong — I’m not saying bad things don’t happen or shouldn’t be discussed at all. But they don’t happen because of race, religion, or gender. They happen because a handful of morons weren’t raised right or their brains don’t work properly. But it seems like every single time I turn on the TV or go online, everyone wants to promote that trauma is a facet of a demographic.
– Samhi C.
