Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Support Group
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I paid forward the support I've gotten yesterday. I went to court to stand up for a colleague who got in trouble with the law. It was hard to be comfortable in court for me. Back in 2000 when I went through a divorce my there was court room drama that triggered my PTSD big time. Plus, I get continual support here at DS PTSD.
People from my support group were there then for for me then and DS PTSD folks are so supportive now, so I wanted to be there for this colleague. Months ago he and a student had a road rage incident in our college parking lot. The student stood in front of my colleague's car and my colleague tapped him with his car.
I think my colleague was in the wrong, but the student wasn't injured. He waited a full month before having my colleague arrested and charged, so I was sure as the victim in the situation he was ok. So then I wrote a letter to the court saying my colleague had a bad day and that he was usually a calm guy at lunch. He's not my buddy, just a guy I knew from lunch times over the years, but he's not a villain.
It turned out fine. The judge gave him 1 day of probation--1 day. I thought my colleague was going to be sent to anger management classes, but he didn't even get that. He gave me a hug for showing up, his wife shook my hand.
It was nice, but it wasn't just for them. It was to pay forward the support I got in 2000. The forward payment was pulled off successfully. The student was there, and he was all right. My colleague fessed up and got treated ok. In the end, mostly for me it was boring, to be honest. But I was glad back in 2000 people from my support group did that for me. Had to pay it forward.
So many bad surprises in my life have come from people that I want to remember the good supportive surprises. Anybody else ever get unexpected support?
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Hey All...I hope that you have a lovely, peaceful beginning of your weekI have a bunch of chores that need doing but may put them off til tomorrow and just hang out with my landlord/roomie todayWhat about you?...Anything special going on?Have a great day and take good care of you!!..Xo
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Once again I've had a fever today. I'm not going to the hospital because that's a huge waste of time but I did schedule a dr appointment for Wednesday afternoon.
About a year ago I met up with this young lady online and we became fast friends. Now we talk all day most days and she is my greatest support right now. It never ceases to amaze me how people will come into your life and leave their footprints!! That's what I found when I came here in 2009.
very cool. glad for him he took that chance to apologise too - maybe your having been there for him, helped him have the strength to do that. nice closure.
You did a wonderful thing paying it forward for your colleague, and facing your fears to do so.
I have definitely received unexpected support that has made me so happy I wanted to cry. sometimes people surprise you. I rarely ask for help, although I'm better at that now. Still I'm always so touched when people just know the perfect thing to do and help without my saying a word.
Glad you were there for him, muji. Passing it on does, indeed, carry a potent healing mojo. I feel like it is the fruition of the process. I also believe that being supportive has nothing to do with being right or wrong. That part is not mine to sort. My part to sort is, "Can I be helpful?"
It is much easier to be right than it is to be helpful. Rocks of rightness in a cesspool only splash up lots of shit. Placing rightness over kindness is the misery of it.
i am praying my way for them, for their hearts to be softened to the people around them who need help. there are so many all around them on any given day, trudging along, believing nobody can see or if they could see, would care. that's sad. a sad and a half story. i keep thinking i am still typing and then i wake up again. less mistakes that way : ). it works for less mistakes . really sorry. i'd better throw in the towel and let sleep win : ) i like it, if someone else had to win taht it was sleep.
hmmm. big sigh. don't have answers for them. they may not feel good about this when they are trying to get to sleep. we sure know what that feels like, huh, Muj ? and not from feeling bad from something we didn't finish to help someone.