During World War II my parents took the family to see DRAGON SEED, a movie about the Japanese invasion of China. The tension built as the Japanese approached a small rural community. The family's grandmother was too obese to travel fast so they hid her in some bushes. The soldiers found her and raped her. Her hysterical crying remained with me throughout the war, reminding it could happen to my mother if we were invaded. To this day I have fears of being attacked because of invasion, whether by wars or into my home, car, etc.
I must add my family, especially my very creative mother, were fans of the gothic. During the depression after my parents lost their farm we moved into a small, rural village. For lack of money and no special events in the community my mother would take us to the cemetery at night to tell us macabre stories as we sat on tombstones.
We also lived in a very large home with a basement not unlike a dungeon. If I had to go to the basement, on return I would run up the stairs as many outstretched arms pursued me.
At age 75, I am a very happy person!!!!!!!!!
UNK SEZ: Tom, where do I even begin with such a stellar Traumafession? First of all, thanks for dispelling the notion that trauma is reserved for the horror genre. The truth is war, rape and fear for our loved ones trumps most of what is found in the average horror film. Secondly your mother is an inspiration, being taken to the local cemetery for some homemade brand-trauma tales sounds like a dream come true to me. And lastly thanks for including your age, not only does it illustrate the staying power of kindertraumas but their universality as well. I spend a lot of time fretting about getting older, but if I get to be half as cool as you clearly are, I'm looking forward to it!
I love Tom's mother. How cool is it that she took him to a cemetary for ghost stories! Love it!
I think this is an interesting traumafession because it really relates back to a time when people lived with those fears for real. How it must have resonated…
Tom, you sound like a neat person. I enjoyed your traumafession because it reminded me of ghost stories my grandmother would tell. My dad is your age and they moved around quite a bit looking for work at cotton mills in the South (during the Great Depression). Anyway, my grandmother was an awesome storyteller (I wish I remembered more of her stories). My dad can also spin quite a good yarn. I also learned to appreciate visiting cemeteries. There was one tombstone that I always wanted to look at because it had a picture of a soldier from WWI on it. One of my prized possessions is a hard-back copy of 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey that my grandmother gave me. There was a storyteller’s convention last fall that the author of the book attended. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get her autograph in that special book. Now I am just rambling, anyway cool traumafession Tom!
I'm glad we have some cemetery fans! There's a couple giant ones here in Philly and when you're in the middle, gravestones are all you can see. There's some really impressive old statues there and it is so much more peaceful than a public park. (I love the dead's refusal to buy cellphones.)