Definitions and Musings
Suggesting that people are damaged might upset some; my definitions and musings follow.
There's a theory and a statement about a baby at birth being likened to a "blank slate". The theory continues that the people that surround that baby and young child are the "writers" on the slate. Also, that the people doing the writing and the content of the slate entries determine the level of social, emotional and relational success a person will have as they grow. This seemed like a reasonable theory to me. However, it is important to state that I have two very different perspectives.
You see, the work I do in human services has shown me many people that did not have good people writing on their slates as they grew. The adults in their lives hurt, neglected and abused them. Those people are now forced to live with the damage that others caused them as children.
My personal slate is the opposing perspective. As a small child I experienced nothing but love, nurturing, and a healthy bit of indulgence.. The people in my life took care of me. I can honestly say as a 40 something adult that any negativity in my life was unnoticeable. What I thought was negative was a direct result of the values with which I was raised. I didn't know until much later in my life that mine was a charmed life; that most others were not so lucky.
Finally, I also recognize that there can be damage to a soul, spirit or body before someone's actual birth. People can be born "damaged" with bad things already written on their blank slate. What I refer to here is babies born addicted, unwanted or abandoned.
During every moment of a person's life, there is potential for damage. There is also a response to damage done, which in turn could create more damage or be the catalyst for change.
There's a theory and a statement about a baby at birth being likened to a "blank slate". The theory continues that the people that surround that baby and young child are the "writers" on the slate. Also, that the people doing the writing and the content of the slate entries determine the level of social, emotional and relational success a person will have as they grow. This seemed like a reasonable theory to me. However, it is important to state that I have two very different perspectives.
You see, the work I do in human services has shown me many people that did not have good people writing on their slates as they grew. The adults in their lives hurt, neglected and abused them. Those people are now forced to live with the damage that others caused them as children.
My personal slate is the opposing perspective. As a small child I experienced nothing but love, nurturing, and a healthy bit of indulgence.. The people in my life took care of me. I can honestly say as a 40 something adult that any negativity in my life was unnoticeable. What I thought was negative was a direct result of the values with which I was raised. I didn't know until much later in my life that mine was a charmed life; that most others were not so lucky.
Finally, I also recognize that there can be damage to a soul, spirit or body before someone's actual birth. People can be born "damaged" with bad things already written on their blank slate. What I refer to here is babies born addicted, unwanted or abandoned.
During every moment of a person's life, there is potential for damage. There is also a response to damage done, which in turn could create more damage or be the catalyst for change.
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