Trouble at home

[haoleifyouhear]

A Disclaimer: The following article deals with themes of domestic violence.  If this subject is sensitive for you, I'd suggest skipping this article and going back to the one about the gods being all horny for each other, or the happy one about dolphins.  This isn't a happy article.  By writing this, I should add, I mean to make no racial

Comments

[tai1or_m2de]

i know that neighborhood
i know those screams
i've seen that terror
and it scares me that you live there kit.

you two please be careful.

[haoleifyouhear]

He and I should be fine here. We keep our heads down, and we have a good relationship. At the moment, we're too broke to live anywhere else, but the second we're able, I want to get out.

Thanks. I'll be okay.

[torreadora]

I love you, Kit. I love you so much. I love your big, big heart.

We're lucky to be loved like we are, to know what safety feels like.

[haoleifyouhear]

I love you back, big sis. We have a great family. Maybe expanding it is the best thing we can do for the world at large.

[anothersadsong]

the last place we lived, we had a neighbor who woke us up almost weekly by screaming at or beating his girlfriend. calling the cops never worked, 'cause he'd usually not let her speak to them, or she'd lie and say everything was fine. sometimes, no matter how much you wanna help, you can't. and those other times, sometimes just letting it be known that you're there and watching can help. ♥

[haoleifyouhear]

That has to be horribly frustrating. You want to say something to these women, you want to hit these men back, but in the end you have to accept that it's not going to change. Having worked in child care and seen examples of what the children in these families go through, I can say that acceptance has to be one of the hardest things in the world to do.

[sunny_serenity]

[haoleifyouhear]

I can't fathom what would make some people do what they do, or stay in a situation like that, but all I can really do is feel how lucky I am. We'll be okay here. And that's a good suggestion, having more visitors. I tell you, Shar, the second I get the money to buy a table and chairs, you're coming over for dinner, you and Kevin and all those marvelous people I miss. I'll have to look up recipes for gluten-free stuff, but that shouldn't be hard. ;)

[sunny_serenity]

[tiny_dancer]

This made me really sad. I've been so lucky for most of my life to be surrounded by truly good people--my dad, who is one of my biggest heroes, and my fantastic group of male friends that wouldn't hurt a fly, much less raise a hand to a woman or child.

Last year for one of my journalism courses, a final assignment was to spend a week or two completely out of our comfort zones, and report on it. I was given the task of a shelter for battered women and children. I spent a week with them, playing with the kids, talking to the mothers. It broke my heart. Having to report on it from am unbiased, "fair" point of view killed me, because the situation was anything but fair and just. I felt like I had no soul.

I'm sorry you're surrounded by this, Kit. More so, I'm sorry that shit like this even happens in the first place.

[haoleifyouhear]

It is a real heartbreak. The women in the shelters make me feel better, because they had the strength and wisdom to get out of trouble... it's the women who choose to stay when they shouldn't that make me the saddest -- only they can get themselves out, but many of them won't. I commend you for being able to write an unbiased article about such a situation -- that must have been the purpose of the assignment, testing your skill as a writer against basic human emotion.

I hope one day these situations will be history, that it won't happen ever again, but for now, all we can do is put good vibes out there.