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Thoughts for Goat Trauma Awareness Month
We know that, despite reaching thousands of Goat Trauma Sufferers, there are still many more out there. These poor souls, in too many cases, are afraid to come forward, from reasons as varied from self-denial to fear of public condemnation. Most often these are not the victims of Childhood Goat Trauma, but instead the possibly more insidious Adult Onset Goat Trauma. Therefore, it warms our hearts here at the CGTF when one such victim gains the courage to come forward to tell his or her tale and, in doing so, gain the help needed to overcome. In honor of the many who have come forward, we would like to share with you the following story from Dawn B.
Dear CGTF,
As I approach midlife, I am grateful to have found your organization and to know that I am not alone. I now know that with support and specialized therapy I may, one day, be able to face my ghosts. Ghoats. I am indebted to your service and education.
Years ago I was unaware of Goat's innate Evil Nature and Bad Influence on other species. In a mistake that I only barely lived to describe, I left our 2-year old billy "Barney" unattended with 10 Lab-mix puppies and their overwhelmed mama. Thinking they were all securely contained in a pen (again, my ignorance), I left for work as usual one June morning. I returned late, after a particularly stressful workday, to find the back door of my house standing wide open. At first, I was afraid that I had been burgled... but I was to find that that would have been a blessing. I noticed that there was a faint smell of "Goat" in the entryway and also (Jaws theme here) the goat/dog pen was EMPTY.
As I cautiously entered the house and proceeded inward, I encountered escalating signs that something was horribly wrong. A towel on the floor. A clump of dirt in the kitchen. A potted plant broken and destroyed on the floor. A puddle of... liquid. All was eerily quiet as my anxiety escalated. I tiptoed toward the living room. And. And.. this is hard. And I saw it - the scene that remains burned in my memory some twenty years later. I rarely allow it to surface. The Goat was standing on the top of the back of the couch with a gnawed pack of cigarettes in his mouth. His evil eyes saw me and he calmly blinked as if to say: "What?"
Beneath him, he surveyed his kingdom: the previously folded week's' laundry scattered around the living room, half-eaten and mixed with houseplants (eaten), foodstuffs, soot from the fireplace, puppies - sleeping, pooping, playing, eating unknown articles. It was as if they had all had a wonderful day inside enjoying themselves with their naughty babysitter, eating forbidden foods and trying on my unmentionables. The cats were nowhere to be found, which is evidence to that species' Sensible and Mature nature. Either that, I thought, or they had been eaten. I choose not to think what that Goat may have been letting those once-innocent puppies watch on TV. I remember now the look on that mama Lab's face (although I don't hold her blameless). It's the one I have been wearing all these years since my trauma: "stunned resignation."
I could do nothing but sit down and cry.
Having achieved his goal of traumatizing me (as herder) and the puppies' mama (as mama) to the point of stunned resignation, this goat went on to train his posse to escape any confinement efforts - roaming freely as a gang, eating blackberries from the vine, and generally behaving like hoodlums. I am ashamed that I did not have the strength to fight. But I did change the locks on the door.
My name is Dawn, and I am a AOGT survivor.
Dawn is an inspiration to other victims of Goat Trauma, no matter what age they may be. We are working out a plan customized to treat Dawn's particular Trauma and see that she makes the recovery we all know she is capable of.
June is Goat Trauma Awareness Month. This month, maybe more victims will gain the courage to come forward for a brighter tomorrow.