A punch in the nose didn’t hurt as much as my “story” did

The pain you carry in your stories, can drain your life energy and be far more excruciating than the traumatic event itself.

Its not about the event!

With an energetic bounce, I skipped out of bed filled with excitement. As a five year old starting my first day of school, I had a glint in my eye and an adventurous spirit. I was really looking forward to what I would learn and the friends that I would meet. Unfortunately, by the end of lunchtime my excitement for school was no longer.

Following the lunch bell to return to class, I stopped by the toilet. As I entered, I saw a friend I had made that morning. He strangely if I could beat up another boy he was with. With bravo and without hesitation I said, “Of course I can.” And as they say, the rest is history!

The conditioning begins

Suddenly, life as I knew it changed forever. Hurled in my direction a clenched fist rocked my world. Tears filled my eyes and blood streamed from my nose and stained my blue shirt. I rushed to the basin to begin attempting to clean myself up. An older boy that I knew spotted me in distress. “Are you alright?” he asked. He quizzed me about what had occurred. Like a stunned rabbit in headlights, I had no answers. Courage now deserted me…