Violence is always appalling and it can have unforeseen consequences
This is my story.
It was a beautiful hot day in Essex. My golden retriever wanted a swim...we lived by the river so in he went and swam up stream where I called him out. Inadvertently he trod on a pair of jeans lying on the grass. , just one wet paw print. The owner of the jeans, a young man of about 18 went mad. He shouted that they were clean and that they were now ruined. I offered to wash them..I only lived five minutes away. I apologised but everything I said wound him up more. He advanced on my dog shouting at him. Crispin huddled up to my legs. He was not looking for a fight. The boy went into the river and came up with a massive stone. He advanced on the dog screaming that he was going to kill it.
I stood my ground thinking he would back down but he didn't.
I took the blows he intended for my dog. I was covered in blood and he was still intent on killing Crispin. I told the dog to run..The boy took off after Crispin screaming all the way. No one had any doubt that he would kill him if he could catch him.
He didn't. Finally I took the dog home trembling and bleeding.
My friends looked after me and rang my husband who got home an hour later ready to go out into the park to kill the "reptile" I stopped him...
This is how violence starts. The young man was arrested and found guilty of actual bodily harm. He went to prison for short time and was ordered to pay me £50 which naturally I never got.
It was the aftermath of this that shook me.
I could no longer set off for a walk in the park full of joy. I kept the dog on his lead and carried a walking stick with me everywhere.
When I saw a different young man a few weeks later smashing car windows I simply ran. Terror seized me and I just ran away from him.
Violence is an addiction to those who use it...they enjoy the rush of adrenalin...they don't think its Real....in films, actors just walk away after a beating...
This generation have been brought up on violence and those who don't own property have nothing to lose by smashing up others.
It took me years to be able to walk out with confidence again....
Please pray for all those involved.....they all need it.
3 comments:
Jean, sorry to hear about your ordeal and the ongoing impact it has on your life.
I'm never sure why violence becomes ingrained into some people. My childhood in the East End of London, was coloured by so much violence around me, The Kray Twins, A criminal, Ginger Marks killed outside our school, many school friends coming from violent home, my own not being excluded.
It gave me a real aversion to violence in any form, which you might question, given that I joined the Army and served the greatest part of my adult life in it.
soldiers are not by nature violent, they are taught to be aggressive, but to defend our country and its interests. What I'm unsure of, is the effect of them witnessing the carnage they see every day, now in places like Afghanistan?
Lots of moral dilemma's late in life, which I'm still trying to come to terms with.
I hope that you are able to feel a little safer soon.
This all happened about 20 years ago....I have obviously not made that clear. Although it shook me at the time I am now absolutely fine...Living in Cornwall has made me fearless again!
It must have taken tremendous courage to defend the dog as you did. I'd like to think I would have done the same, but I rather doubt it.
What a sad reflection on human nature that you had to even contemplate anything so very dangerous.
Violence cannot be met with violence otherwise we'd have total anarchy, but turning the other cheek is far from a 'safe' option.
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