I am so sorry to hear about the vandalism to your car. I am a career prosecutor and quickly learned how damaging "mere" auto theft and vandalism are to the victims. It can literally devastate people's lives, especially if the victims are already living in difficult circumstances. They live in a sketchy neighborhood, but they want to better their circumstances and so they find a decent job outside the city but they need a car to get that good job. And then their car gets stolen or, even worse, vandalized such that it becomes undriveable. They don't HAVE the money to repair the car; they don't HAVE the money to rent a car; they don't HAVE $300 to pay the deductible. They lose their job. They have to scramble to figure out how to get their kids to school. Every time they struggle and get two steps forward, some selfish jerk-ball criminal (my own made-up term) pushes them three steps back. And that is why I have felt called to be a criminal prosecutor---not because I enjoy putting people in jail, but because victims and our society in general need to hold the line against chaos and destruction.
The way forward always opens up before us, not always ten steps ahead or even five, but at least one and courage is taking that one step forward.
In my long struggle with PTSD related anxiety and depression, I have learned that I can out walk anxiety, literally. When you feel it coming on, it’s time for a fast walk long enough that you feel a little tired. If it comes in the evening when I want to sleep, I discovered that listening to choir music, especially pre-Baroque or Gregorian chants works well, but the thing that works best for me is listening to an Audible book with a narrator who I find soothing. It works and is so much better than Ambien. There is something about the human voice that soothes us, maybe starting before we were even born.
DM me and I will send you an iPod setup for helping to ease anxiety and nurture sleep. It’s free, because I have enough stuff already.
I am so sorry to hear about the vandalism to your car. I am a career prosecutor and quickly learned how damaging "mere" auto theft and vandalism are to the victims. It can literally devastate people's lives, especially if the victims are already living in difficult circumstances. They live in a sketchy neighborhood, but they want to better their circumstances and so they find a decent job outside the city but they need a car to get that good job. And then their car gets stolen or, even worse, vandalized such that it becomes undriveable. They don't HAVE the money to repair the car; they don't HAVE the money to rent a car; they don't HAVE $300 to pay the deductible. They lose their job. They have to scramble to figure out how to get their kids to school. Every time they struggle and get two steps forward, some selfish jerk-ball criminal (my own made-up term) pushes them three steps back. And that is why I have felt called to be a criminal prosecutor---not because I enjoy putting people in jail, but because victims and our society in general need to hold the line against chaos and destruction.
The way forward always opens up before us, not always ten steps ahead or even five, but at least one and courage is taking that one step forward.
In my long struggle with PTSD related anxiety and depression, I have learned that I can out walk anxiety, literally. When you feel it coming on, it’s time for a fast walk long enough that you feel a little tired. If it comes in the evening when I want to sleep, I discovered that listening to choir music, especially pre-Baroque or Gregorian chants works well, but the thing that works best for me is listening to an Audible book with a narrator who I find soothing. It works and is so much better than Ambien. There is something about the human voice that soothes us, maybe starting before we were even born.
DM me and I will send you an iPod setup for helping to ease anxiety and nurture sleep. It’s free, because I have enough stuff already.
Welcome back, Juliette. I’m pulling for you.