I Simply Cannot Process The Visuals Of The News — And That's Okay
It's okay if you can't, either.
Courtesy of the Author If our digestive system takes in something poisonous or rotten, our bodies will find a way to expel it.
Front door, back door, doesn't matter — it's coming out.
When our brains take in violence and terror there is no backdrop, no way to flush it out, no fail-safe. It lives there, in your brain.
Sometimes forever.
Clouding your judgement and wreaking havoc on your well-being.
Some of us have brains that aren't equipped to process visual traumas.
Be it violence in movies or violence in real life.
And that's okay. There's nothing wrong with you.
You're simply wired different.
Meant to approach things differently.
Years ago I watched a van run over a crowd of people in Egypt.
I can still hear the thump and crunch of the bodies, the screams, the tires burning out when they got hung up on the dead humans in the street.
I am not a bad or naive person for not being glued to the TV for updates and the next great horror. Neither are you.
There are plenty of ways for me to get the news without the visuals, without the dramatics.
Cody, my husband, being my main source of logic.
We're all wired differently, and we need to find where our strengths fit into the weaknesses of others, and vice versa.
We can't all do the same thing or expect the same of others and thrive at the same time.
My "weakness" in my inability to process visual violence and hatred leads me to my strength, helping other people.
Supporting the people doing the hard work.
Being a soft, safe place for weary to land.
Casey Mullins is a professional photographer and writer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Follow her on Instagram for more.