View from the Dragon's Head at OBR RVA by Shirley Silberman

View from the Dragon’s Head RAOBR

Manning the booth for the Chinese Dragon was inspiring and surprising.  Surprising from the aspect of, not only the willingness, but also of the actual determination, of so many people to grab a heart and boldly, defiantly, write raw words emanating from their inner souls.  Those words on hearts spilling across the dragon’s body renounced the dark forces that once kept these authors captive.  These words bespoke spirit, redemption, reclamation; they proclaimed the victory of survival, not the lament of a victim.  These words, stark and bare, in varying fonts and scripts, created an identity of their very own, giving strength to the weak, courage to the meek, and protection to the vulnerable.

The booth was never empty; always four or five people thick; people anxious to make a public declaration of inner strength, of compassion, of hope for their selves and/or for their fellow humans.  It gave wonder to this mysterious force that made this exhibit so profound that people felt compelled to publicly, yet anonymously, publish often wrenching testimony of the power of triumph over traumatic events.  Equally pleasing were the numbers of people reading others’ words who left feeling empowered and enlightened.

So how powerful are words?  Words can disrupt the terrible cycle of abuse.  Words of comfort and support can turn muddled feelings into clear thoughts and can turn a victim into a survivor.  A survivor is less apt to continue the cycle of abuse, as often victims become the very perpetrators they despise.  Words are the first baby steps in the process of recovery and reclamation.  Action can be seen in events like OBR; participating and paying it forward.  

This week, not unlike any other, another voice of advocacy against violence was silenced.  Reeva Sheenkamp, a supermodel in South Africa, posted an Instagram, stating, “I woke up in a happy safe home this morning. Not everyone did. Speak out against the rape of individuals in SA. RIP Anene Booysen. #rape #crime #sayNO”.  She tweeted on Tuesday, advocating women to wear black on Friday as a symbol of support against rape and abuse of women.  Ironically these statements were her last as she died of domestic violence Wednesday night, purportedly by her Olympic boyfriend, Oscar Pistorius, nicknamed “Blade Runner”.  Reeva was supposed to talk to South African high school students on Valentine’s Day with a message of love.  Valentine’s Day “doesn't have to only be between lovers, but by telling a friend that you care, or even an old person that they are still appreciated," she planned to share.

 

Words give us affirmation.  Live those words on a daily basis.  Actions set examples.  The more people mimic positive behavior, the more the cycle gets disrupted.  We can’t let the deaths of the Reeva in this world have no meaning.  As Gandhi once wrote, “"We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do."

by Shirley Silberman