“think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.” -Dickens
One of the clearest memories I have is somewhat of a haunting one. A few years ago (3ish?) my whole family was home, on a normal night, and someone broke into my house. No one was harmed in any way but he was able to get away and took some of our possessions with him. The police did come quickly, even though it seemed like an eternity that I was hiding in my closet! Even though no one was harmed and this offense could have been way worse, it was still one of my most traumatic days. It disrupts your peace of mind and security. After that day I was afraid of my own house. I was afraid to sleep, not only in my own house, but I also didn't like staying over night other places. Fora long time I was afraid of my own house, the dark, and had trouble actually feeling safe.
What is almost as bad as a strange man being downstairs while you are in the closet is having the police further disrupting your home and thoroughly searching it in the middle of the night. To add on to this night, two weeks later, someone-(maybe the same person or someone completely different, no one knows) came back to my house and smashed a window. This was just another disruption causing more unwanted people searching through our home yet again. To this day, when ever I have a nightmare, it will always revolve around something like this night happening to me in my own home.
This one event changed our whole lifestyle, not only at home, but any where we would travel to. It's more that just a memorable and was a life-changing day because I will never be the same as I was before that day. This event caused my family to become really smart about security, trying to make home, feel like home again.
ah! why does it not show the break between paragraphs.
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrifying day--I can see how it would remain with you long after. Add a little more to your post (or comment), elaborating on how a chain of other events/reactions have formed. Be a little more specific about a place you've traveled to where you haven't felt as safe and how that changed your behavior. What security measures has your family put into place? Have those security measures forged any other links in the chain?
ReplyDeleteEven though this is possible to happen again, my parents did all that they could to ensure our safety! including alarms, lights and even motion-activated automatic lights in the yards! Fairly recently my brother and i were shipped off to the grandparents for the weekend, but little did I know, I had been unaware that their new home was only one story. Having to sleep on the main level floor seemed terrifying in the moment, and I only slept about three hours that night.
ReplyDeleteIn the moment, it always seems worse than it actually is. Its like playing head games with yourself, but you can't let your mind win! Being logical and reasonable about it and not getting worked up, is the only way to overcome nights like this one.