The Hidden Blessing in Trauma: How Past Pain Shapes Our Present Caution
I got the inspiration for this article during my early morning walk today. On my way back, as I approached the junction of my street, I crossed the road from the left sidewalk— from my viewpoint— to the right sidewalk to head into my street. My earphones were on, and I was vibing to Jigga’s American Gangster album.
As I was crossing, I checked both sides of the road to ensure that no vehicle or motorcycle was approaching at a high speed or was too close. I did this for my safety, especially since I was using earphones. There have been past reports of people getting hit by vehicles, including trailers, while wearing earphones and listening to music on the road.
As I successfully crossed the road, it dawned on me that my actions—the way I crossed—were influenced by past trauma. This trauma stems from the precautions I took, driven by news reports and stories I’ve heard, watched, or listened to about accidents of people being hit by vehicles while wearing earphones and listening to music on the road.
A few weeks ago, I slipped and fell after leaving the bathroom, leaving a mark on the passage wall. The mark was from the bruise I got when I smashed my head…
