First Blog Entry

The shock of any trauma, I think changes your life. It's more acute in the beginning and after a little time you settle back to what you were. However it leaves an indelible mark on your psyche. -Alex Lifeson

Trauma, as it says in our readings, doesn't truly start to effect us, until the actual trauma is over. This is apparent in Freud's writing, with his made up history of Jews. The story he makes up reflects his own actual life. He notes that no matter where he goes, his problems follow him, and this trauma is also reflected in his writings. No matter where the Jews flee, trouble and trauma awaits them.



The Trauma most interesting, personally, is the trauma that is experienced right at the moment. It is the trauma that gets in peoples faces, like knowing they will die. It is an interesting concept that in the face of even the greatest trauma, people retain the essential human need. The need to communicate. This really brings to light how important writing is. Writing is a more permanent way of talking, and without it, we are hardly more than animals. Writing allows us to experience other people's traumas.

I am confused about one part in this section. How is trauma seen as a departure versus an arrival? These two concepts, departure and arrival, appear too close in meaning.