I’ve been kicking around a few thoughts for a month now, wondering where I should bring it up. Word Press fans, you are the winner. I hope to gain some input from this effort, tell me if I’m crazy at least, lol.
I have a beautiful cousin, I came to know her later in life. She was a surprise gift we quickly added into the cousin net. My immediate family is a bit toxic, so my cousins are very dear to me. (Note: if you act like the grinch and are generally mean to your nuclear family, you might get talked about in the cousin net.) Let’s call her Francesca. Francesca has a good marriage and a charming pre-teen son. Then the shock came and her dear hubby announced he was leaving her for his boss, original right. It was a shock to everyone, how could it happen? She is loving, fun, goes the extra mile, works hard and is very supportive of her husbands music endeavors. His boss also happens to be in the public eye.
Due to their high profile status, everything he posts or says is taken with a large dose of assumptions. He is currently posting about domestic violence. Ignorant people assume it is from his personal life experiences and have become cruel in their comments about his ex-wife, Francesca. She has lost friends, calls have been made to her work, and comments have been made on line and in person about DV against her victimized ex-husband. This could not be farther from the truth. He has never accused her of anything, nor did such a thing happen.
This has led me to consider some of my own posts. I have posted awareness about DV, AIDS, Cancer, Suicide, Narcissism, anti-hate, Jesus, fostering, teachers, etc. and the list goes on. I do have some personal experience with a few of these topics, others, not so much. I enjoy exploring awareness about topics. My level of interest spans from intimately personal to strictly educational and everything in between. I have survived cancer, DV, fostering etc. Do I understand what it feels like to be a holocaust survivor, no. But, I can learn about it and show compassion.
The big question: Would you assume I have personal experience with a topic because I’ve written about it? Would you make or approve of others who make negative comments and actions based on an assumption?
Tessa Bertoldi 