What is an aftermath? It is the the consequences or aftereffects of a significant unpleasant event. It is the aftereffects, byproduct, fallout, backwash, ; reverberations, consequences, effects, results, fruits; end result, outcome, upshot. .
There have been many reverberations – many of them positive, should anything become positive from such a senseless tragedy. Woke up to learn that one of perpetuators was found dead in the fields surrounding the James Smith Cree Nation, This was learned from The Star, a Canadian on line news service that I subscribe to. It included links to videos of the premier of Saskatchewan speaking in a field offering support, concern, and consolation. The police chief of Regina also spoke, again reassuring, and strong, politely urging residents to send their children to school pointing out that no children were attacked by the killers. The coverage from The Star was excellent, keeping everyone up to date with the most current information.
I did stay in, stay safe but it was totally unnecessary. But did something after noticing that the flags at the Legislative Building were being flown at half mast. I made an amateur reel and put it on Instagram expressing pride in my country – comparing it to the USA. Alberta is a neighboring province to Saskatchewan (that conveyed to readers not familiar with Canada) but as an expression of unity lowered its flags. Understand from the Star that this done at other Legislative Buildings throughout Canada. Canada does not have Red States and Blue States like the USA – provinces have their own systems of government but clearly can pull together in times of tragedy and need. I am so proud to be a Canadian.
Now that I can re-emerge safely shall go to the the Alberta Legislative Building for breakfast – it is Tuesday, therefore the featured breakfast shall be a loaded omelette. Mine is loaded with vegetables and cheese, not meat or bacon as I observe Muslim dietary practices, respected by the chefs. I am, to say the very least, something of an anomaly. An anomaly is something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected. That’s me. I shall pick and choose among the synonyms: peculiarity, irregularity, incongruity, deviation, aberration, quirk, , exception, departure, divergence, variation; rarity, eccentricity. Did strike six or eight from the list as they were insulting. I remember that a former friend whose first name was Bruce called me an eccentric but in a complimentary fashion. He is a former friend because he wanted me to stay the same, look up to him and rely on his wisdoms – but as I learned more it was revealed that his wisdoms were a bit deficient. He became insulting rather than admiring. Did not end well and he had been my friend for about fifty-five years. Easy come, easy go which is a phrase used to say that someone is not bothered about losing something Used in a sentence: Her attitude toward money has always been, easy come, easy go. Where does it come from? An ancient Chinese expression from 400 B.C. has a similar meaning: quickly come and quickly go. The the idiom with this exact wording first appeared in the 1800s. .People use this expression to express two different things. People use this expression to express two different things. The first is as consolation after losing something that was acquired easily, such as gambling money. In this situation, it means don’t worry that you lost that. It’s not like you worked hard for it anyway. So that was true of Bruce – we were separated great distances for most of the ‘friendship’, we were different people but did not realize it. He was actually quite misogynistic, that was a BEEG surprise.
But to return to the Saskatchewan tragedy. It is the opposite of easy come, easy go. A portion of the aftermath is the exposure of a parole system that does not work. One of the perpetuators should never have been allowed release – he became uncontrollable when drunk and there was nothing put in place to control or curb his drinking. Did not realize that these two men were Metis, it was impossible to discern this from their photographs. A history of extreme familial violence. Nothing came easy for these two and they left a terrible mark and legacy of suffering and pain. .
My family is one marked by violence perpetuated upon me and my brothers. My mother escaped my father’s abuse – she rather adroitly ‘set up’ her daughter so that they would receive the blows of his drunken rage. I was able to overcome many effects with psychotherapy – I laughingly say that I have had more therapy than Woody Allen. Now I see that Allah was with me during those tortuous times. My decision not to have children was a godsend – quite simply I had no children to abuse. My brothers were not as fortunate as I. Unfortunately tragically and most probably, continued the pattern, known as Freud’s repetition compulsion.
Repetition compulsions refers to an unconscious need to reenact rely traumas. A person with this condition repeats these traumas in new situations that might symbolize the initial trauma. It was also Freud’s view that a person’s inability to discuss or remember past traumatic events might lead them to repeat this these traumas compulsively. My brothers have lived in denial about my abuse – although it has been scientifically and physically proven. I feel blessed that I had the ability, the means, the intelligence , the insight, and the persistence to seek treatment. I am scarred but have not left a legacy of scared, scarred and maimed individuals.
Wikipedia thoroughly explores repetition compulsion, this the first paragraph: “Repetition compulsion is a psychological phenomenon in which a person repeats an event or its circumstances over and over again. This includes re-enacting the event or putting oneself in situations where the event is likely to happen again. This “re-living” can also take the form of dreams in which memories and feelings of what happened are repeated, and even hallucinated.” The Wikipedia article is very well written and I urge all to read it in its entirety.
But to return to the matter at hand. By now other details have emerged. Yesterday morning when I journeyed to the Legislative Building for breakfast. The loaded omelet shall be pictured.
But also to the Legislative Library with their vast collection of periodicals and newspapers and with the help of the very able librarians was able to discover what the print newspapers were uncovering about the tragedy. Interesting perspectives as you shall read in a later blog.
But also an amusing encounter. I was speaking to the librarians near the entrance to the library. Three well dressed and important people entered, the woman speaking to the two men. I burst into the conversation, saying that it was a fantastic library, close to where I lived, that I was a frequent visitor and had a library card. The three of them and the librarians laughed. This is so unbelievable, but true. The woman was the Chief of Protocol, one man the Canadian Ambassador from El Salvador. He gave me his business card, I gave him my blog card. I asked the woman who she was and the following conversation ensued.
She: I am the Chief of Protocol for the province.
Me: Oh my goodness no. I have just violated every protocol known to man
She: Not alt all. I think we should hire you.
Me: I can volunteer. I live close by and have an adequate retirement income. I left Edmonton fifty-five years ago, I have come back to live and should give back to this city, this province and Canada.
What is protocol? It is the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions. It is etiquette, conventions, formalities, customs, rules of conduct, procedure, ritual, code of behavior, accepted behavior, conventionalities, propriety, proprieties, one’s Ps and Qs, decorum, manners, courtesies, civilities, good form, the done thing, the thing to do. There I was with my big mouth, handing an ambassador my blog card – a breach of decorum, etiquette, conventions and formalities. I was not minding my Ps and Qs, but I guess it was okay – everyone said it was anyway. At least they were acting with propriety.
A later blog will reveal the content of my Legislative Library research. I was retraumatized to learn the ongoing results of childhood abuse, wondering it it would ever end. But for me it, the effects negligible during those moments in the Legislative Library speaking with the Ambassador, his aide and the Chief of Protocol. All praise to Allah.
