Notes on lives shaped by violence and silence

The connective tissue of trauma. 765 Words | 3 mins 3 sec read time

When tragedies happen, I'm always struck by how the world continues to turn.

There is still morning news on TV. People drive to and from important and unimportant places. Dogs need to go out. Kids have school, and we're supposed to show up as functional and effective humans at work.

Somehow, I've been able to keep my world spinning during times of trauma and tragedy, too. I can even get caught up in my own work and forget the impact of tragedy on others.

Just this week, I was so engrossed in my world that I momentarily disconnected from the collective pain of the attacks in Israel and Palestine. I reached out to a friend to talk about my book without even considering the emotional chaos she may be experiencing due to these distressing events.

It was a stark reminder: we're all floating in our personal bubbles. Even me. Someone who understands…