Finding Amusement in Dark Times

Tomorrow is the day I have always dreaded – it’s the 11th anniversary of the murder of Shannon McNamara, who inspired me to start Girls Fight Back. Even worse, her birthday is June 21 – so for pretty much the entire month of June I have been melancholy – for a decade!

But I had a hunkering this year might be different after learning I was pregnant last Fall. Something started to shift and I actually wrote a blog post about it called “A New June.” I felt the energy around Shannon’s life and death shifting away from feeling like a stifling loss and towards a light that can’t be snuffed out. I felt lighter, happier…

Over the years, I believe Shannon has been my tour guide back to joy.

And thank goodness, because after doing the math I realized being miserable for the month of June for over 10 years (about 300 days!) accounted for almost a year of my life…and that’s just crazy pants.

Often when my GFB team describes our presentation and education style, we tell people it’s funny…hilarious even. People wonder how a presentation teaching skills to avoid rape and murder can possibly be amusing. Clearly it’s not the topic or the fact people experience it, either directly or indirectly, that we make light of.

But having the ability to sit and watch a GFB program and not be terrified – even smile – is a great first step to taking your power back!

For example, one of our rock star speakers named Bree Swartz often tells audiences about her daily habit of running into her apartment, and immediately darting for the bathroom. (Because, as she explains, she has the bladder of a small child.) But before she does the deed, first she opens the shower curtain to check for murderers.

OK, you probably laughed, but that doesn’t mean you think murder is funny. You’re just remembering a time you did that, and finding common ground and amusement in the shared experience. I mean, what exactly are we planning to do should we discover some dude in our bathtub…really?

This is just one example of how each of us has the power to peer into the darkness and find a lightness. It doesn’t mean the dark stuff is any less scary, it just means we don’t let it control us.

Because really, that’s what fear does. It takes over. It makes decisions. It causes anxiety and health problems. It prevents us from living the life we were intended. It smothers our greatness.

I believe anxiety and fear devastates our world just as much as violence does.

So on tomorrow’s 11-year anniversary of losing my friend, I’m going to think of all the times Shannon skipped class on a gorgeous spring day to instead put on a bikini and lay out on a lawn chair. And I’m going to remember her response to me when I asked if playing hooky was such a good idea:

“Weed, lighten up.”

Good advice my friend. I shall honor your memory this year by doing exactly that.

34 thoughts on “Finding Amusement in Dark Times

  1. Kraig

    I’d like to find out more? I’d like to find out some
    additional information.

  2. your web hosting

    Hey! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers?
    I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve
    worked hard on. Any tips?

  3. web hosting was

    I all the time emailed this web site post page to all my associates, as if
    like to read it next my friends will too.

  4. t.co

    Hello, Neat post. There’s an issue together with your web site in internet explorer, would test this?

    IE still is the market leader and a huge element of folks will omit
    your great writing due to this problem.

  5. t.co

    Hi to every one, it’s actually a pleasant for me to go to see this website, it consists of important Information.

  6. http://t.co/uY2R5aoog7

    Hello there, You’ve done a fantastic job. I will definitely digg it and personally recommend to
    my friends. I am confident they’ll be benefited from this web site.

  7. j.mp

    I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good.
    I do not know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already
    😉 Cheers!

  8. http://bit.ly/2WAvPGN

    I absolutely love your blog and find nearly all
    of your post’s to be exactly what I’m looking for.
    Would you offer guest writers to write content to suit
    your needs? I wouldn’t mind writing a post or elaborating on a few of the
    subjects you write with regards to here. Again, awesome
    web site!

  9. http://t.co/17QzETrAgr

    Fine way of describing, and pleasant paragraph to obtain facts about my presentation subject, which
    i am going to deliver in institution of higher education.

  10. bit.ly

    I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest
    but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark
    your site to come back in the future. Many thanks

  11. scoliosis surgery their

    I am curious to find out what blog system you have been using?
    I’m experiencing some small security problems with my latest
    blog and I would like to find something more secure.
    Do you have any suggestions?

  12. bit.ly

    Currently it appears like Expression Engine is the top blogging platform out there right now.
    (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?

  13. j.mp

    We stumbled over here from a different web address and thought I
    should check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you.
    Look forward to exploring your web page for a second
    time.

  14. what asmr

    If some one wants to be updated with hottest technologies then he must be pay a visit this web page and be
    up to date everyday.

  15. tinyurl.com

    Today, I went to the beach front with my children. I found a sea shell and gave
    it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She
    put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched
    her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is totally off topic
    but I had to tell someone!

  16. j.mp

    Hi my family member! I wish to say that this article is
    amazing, nice written and come with almost all
    vital infos. I would like to see more posts like this .

  17. scoliosis surgery when

    I do consider all of the ideas you have offered in your post.
    They are very convincing and can definitely work.
    Still, the posts are too brief for starters. May just you please lengthen them a
    little from subsequent time? Thank you for the post.

  18. asmr a

    Hi there to every one, the contents existing at this web site are genuinely amazing for people knowledge, well, keep up the nice work fellows.

  19. bitly.com

    whoah this weblog is fantastic i really like reading your
    posts. Keep up the great work! You realize, many persons are hunting round for this information, you can help them greatly.

  20. coub.com

    Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long
    as I provide credit and sources back to your website?
    My website is in the exact same area of interest as yours and my visitors would
    really benefit from some of the information you provide here.
    Please let me know if this ok with you. Regards!
    scoliosis surgery https://coub.com/stories/962966-scoliosis-surgery scoliosis surgery

  21. with ps4 games

    Hi to every single one, it’s in fact a fastidious for me
    to visit this website, it consists of valuable Information.

  22. bitly.com

    My programmer is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP.
    I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses.
    But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on numerous websites for
    about a year and am anxious about switching to another platform.
    I have heard good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress content into it?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated! ps4 https://bit.ly/3nkdKIi ps4

  23. hey may

    I really like your writing style, excellent information, appreciate it for putting up :D. “Faith is a continuation of reason.” by William Adams.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.