I'm sure that post traumatic stress is real, and terrifying for some of its sufferers. But sometimes I have my doubts.
On Monday, George (my shop-lifting grandson), aged four, was leaving a soft play area with his (other) grandmother. On the way out, his little finger became trapped in the steel door. Poor Grandma had to run up hill and down dale to find anyone to help, leaving a screaming child, still trapped, in order to find someone to open the security (ha) door. George had an operation the next day, and is doing ok, though they won't be for sure for two weeks. Grandma is recovering, but understandably, she doesn't enjoy revisiting the experience. And the man who unlocked the door?
When my son phoned to, er, discuss the matter, he was told (in a blaming kind of way) that the man who had eventually opened the door had had to take the next day off because of the stress he'd incurred.
Aaaaaaah. Bless.
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Poor poor George. Poor Gran. Not poor man who happened to open the door.
ReplyDeleteIts awful. Munchie had a horrible finger injury a while back. Horrible.
I can readily believe in George's other Granny's PTSD (my Mom slammed my niece's finger in a door by mistake years ago and still suffers guilt over it!) but really...surely a cup of tea would suffice for the "poor" door opener!! :S
ReplyDelete(ON another note...here is my review of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - the book is FAR better than the movie (second review down)
Judy, South Africa
Strange the way stress takes different people.
ReplyDeleteAliya, I remember the Munchie's finger. Is it ok now?
ReplyDeleteYvonne - ouch! A friend of my son's did that, and managed to circumcise himself...
Judy, I think that man's boss should have told him to pull himself together and/or docked his pay. What is this country coming to?
Jenny, I think he just wanted the day off.
Poor George. I hope he recovers well.
ReplyDeleteMy middle daughter shut her finger in the car door when she was very young, We had just arrived at my mother-in-law's house and had to greet her with, "Bye, just off to Casualty."
I still hate to recall the moment it happened and my fear of actually looking at the injury.
But as for the security man having to take the day off, well, I think I'd tell him what my late father was so fond of saying to anyone being a wimp,
"Pull you finger out."
Sorry!'your' finger.
ReplyDeleteHi, Joanna. I think children shouldn't grow fingers until they're about 7. Trapped fingers, shoplifting...all could so easily be avoided.
ReplyDeleteAh - you have a shop-lifter too - my eldest offspring was this way inclined in his younger years.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear of poor George - hope there is full recovery to his little finger.
As to the security man - well my heart goes out to him, the poor delicate man. Am I serious? No!
Hugs for George.
Anna :o]
Perhaps the man's stress was caused by having to explain why he wasn't around to prevent the accident happening in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThis ties in nicely with what this week's ZEIT says about burnout syndrome. Just like post-traumatic stress and ADS, it has become so "fashionable", people use it all the time, no matter whether it is justified or not. It could make me quite angry if I'd allow it that much power :-) Oh, yes, and then I could tell my boss I can not work today because I am suffering post-traumatic stress from having read upsetting blog-posts :-D
ReplyDeletePoor George, poor Grandma but definitely not poor man. What a wimp.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anna. I'll pass the hugs on when I see him.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Patsy!
Librarian, do give your boss my apologies when you take that day off. When he hears about it, he may have to have a day off, too.
Thanks, Colette. I'm glad we're all in agreement!
Straightjacket.
ReplyDeleteStraightjacket for whom? Child? Grandma? Wimpy man??
ReplyDeleteMunchie all fine now, thanks!
ReplyDelete