50
I am 50 years old today. The world is a very different place from the one I was born into.
I have been witness to the beginnings of television and the explosion in communications; cell phones and computers. Man has gone into space and landed on the moon and seen the world from a perspective that has never occurred before in the history of humankind. We now have remote controls and microwave ovens, Velcro and Teflon, pantyhose, credit cards and digital everything.
Over the last 50 years medicine has seen major progress in some areas, the end of polio, test-tube babies, genetics and cloning. We have implants for the deaf and the blind and for heart patients. Medications are administered frequently with a patch on the skin. We have laser surgery and CAT scans and the Pill. We also have AIDS.
I have seen the changes brought about by the sexual revolution, the Womens Movement, Black Rights and Aboriginal Rights. I watched in horror when the Kennedys and King were assassinated. I grew up in the age of the Elvis and the Beatles and Rock and Roll. I was witness to the Vietnam war and the 9-11 disaster.
All of these have had major impacts on the way we live today. It is indeed a very different world from the one I was born into.
One other change that has occurred in the world that hits close to home for me is the Recovery Movement. I have been involved both professionally and personally. When I was young problems in the family were a secret. One never spoke about alcoholism or wife beating or sexual abuse and rape. Parents quietly warned children of the dangers of the men in cars offering candy and to watch out for "Uncle" but never really said why. Family problems were whispered about and kept hidden from outsiders. People who went for therapy were obviously sick and no one would admit they had to seek counseling.
Yes the world is a different place. Thousands of victims of abuse have come forward. They have spoken out about the betrayal of trust and the hurt imposed upon them. As a result the world has been forced to acknowledge the problem and deal with it. A wide variety of support groups exist as one method for survivors to get the help they need. AA, NA, ACOA, GA. OEA, ASOAA, therapy groups and individual counseling and on and on. It is no longer shameful to admit that you have been hurt. It is no longer shameful to get the help you need. And it is no longer shameful to talk about it.
As little as 15 years ago when I started this journey of recovery people would shrink back when I mentioned abuse. Now I most likely get the response "Me too." In a way it is sad there are so many of us.
But there is power and strength in numbers. Every change in society starts with one person, one idea, one small change in a new direction. Collectively we can do what one cannot do alone. But each one must take that step in a new direction. That is what got us to the moon. That is what will help us create a safer world for the future
Edited by - Lady Lee on 15 June 2002 9:38:42