#AtoZchallenge (2018) R is for feeling Relieved - Dis Ekke
Posted by HesterLeyNel on 2018-04-20 25 Comments
Relieved: no longer feeling distressed or anxious; reassured. Relief can also take on a physical form, namely relief of pain or the relief of an empty bladder, at last, after a suffering through a lengthy meeting. Now, exactly where was I going with this?
I wanted to talk about the feeling of relief experienced when one realises that a danger has passed or is no longer imminent, or better yet when it turns out that there never was any danger at all. I’m using the word “danger” here not only in the sense of possible harm or injury but also of something unwelcome or unpleasant threatening one’s peace of mind.
Distress or anxiety is more often than not caused by ignorance about a perceived threat. There were many times in my life when I felt troubled about situations that I did not fully understand the implications of. Ignorance was the cause of many stressful hours in my life. I was not the only ignoramus in those innocent days: I remember how one of my unmarried colleagues panicked when her pregnancy test came back as negative, as she was convinced that her dad would kill her for shaming the family! Imagine how relieved she was when I told her that “negative” in this case was actually good news … This was in the early 1970s.
The role of social media: “Knowledge is power” has become a mantra in modern times and it is not just an empty cliche. The availability of information on the internet afforded us a wonderful freedom to learn new things, an opportunity which we should explore as often as possible. Social media reassured me that other people are battling the same demons that plagued me for many years. I do not dispute that there is also a lot of misinformation and useless propaganda being bandied around. Not everybody out there on the online platforms is a guru or have society’s best interest at heart, but I am willing to trust my own judgment. Today’s emoji: 😅
Verlig: voel nie meer benoud of angstig nie; gerusgestel. Verligting kan ook ‘n fisiese vorm aanneem, naamlik die verligting van pyn of die verligting van ‘n leë blaas, uiteindelik, na ‘n lyding deur ‘n lang vergadering. Nou presies waarheen was ek nou op pad hiermee?
Ek wou praat oor die gevoel van verligting wat ervaar word as ‘n mens besef dat ‘n gevaar afgewend is of nie meer ophande is nie, of beter nog wanneer dit blyk dat daar nooit enige gevaar was nie. Ek gebruik die woord “gevaar” hier nie net in die sin van moontlike skade of besering nie, maar ook van iets wat onwelkom of onaangenaam is en jou gemoedsrus bedreig.
Nood of angs word meer dikwels as nie veroorsaak deur onkunde oor ‘n moontlike bedreiging wat waargeneem word. Daar was baie kere in my lewe dat ek my bekommer het oor situasies waarvan ek die implikasies nie verstaan het nie. Onkunde het my baie benoude ure besorg. Ek was nie die enigste onkundige in daardie onskuldige dae nie: ek onthou hoe een van my ongetroude kollegas paniekerig geraak het toe die uitslag van haar swangerskapstoets negatief was, want sy was oortuig dat haar pa haar gaan doodmaak omdat sy die familie beskaam het! Stel jou voor hoe verlig sy was toe ek vir haar gesê het dat “negatief” in hierdie geval eintlik goeie nuus was … dit was in die vroeë 1970’s.
Die rol van sosiale media: “Kennis is mag” het in die moderne tyd ‘n mantra geword en dit is nie net ‘n leë cliche nie. Die beskikbaarheid van inligting op die internet bied ons die wonderlike vryheid om nuwe dinge te ondersoek en ons behoort dit so dikwels as moontlik te doen. Sosiale media het my gerusgestel dat ander mense met dieselfde duiwels sukkel wat my jare lank geteister het. Ek betwis nie dat daar ook baie verkeerde inligting en nikswerd propaganda rondgestrooi word nie. Nie almal daar buite op die aanlyn-platforms is ‘n goeroe of dra die samelewing se beste belange op die hart nie, maar ek is bereid om my eie oordeel te vertrou. Emoji vir vandag: 😅
Onkunde kan nogal ‘n gevaarlike wapen wees…onkunde van die massas word nuttig gebruik tot opsweping…dis wat my deesdae angstig maak.
Dit was nog altyd ‘n wapen doer van die vroegste tye af en kyk waar het dit die Jode laat beland in beide die Roomse en die Third Reich tydperk.
Massas is nog al d eeue maklik opgesweep. Dit sal nie verander nie. Die internet is ongelooflik vir die wat bietjie meer wil weet.
Die internet laat toe dat meer mense makliker en vinniger bereik kan word. Die gebruikers raak ook al meer uitgesproke.
Verligting is ‘n wonderlike emosie!!!!
Ek is ook ewe.skielik baie slimmer vandat ek kan google 😋
Nou sien jy, ek voel net so slim deesdae.
!!!!!!!!!!! Awesome, dear Hester!
Sometimes I find social media, such as fb, causes me anxiety when there is too much daily news in the feed. It seems that a few years ago there was more sharing and fellow feeling and less stress.
I’m sure you’re right. People are getting more violent and outspoken by the day. Thank you for dropping by.
Verligting is altyd salig en positief!
Waar dit my familie aanbetref, kan ek baie maklik die bobbejaan agter die berg gaan soek, nie net gaan haal nie. So my verligting is intens as dinge net normaal bly verloop. Neuroties? Heel moontlik.🤔
Ek ken dit. Die probleem is dat ‘n mens soms dink jy verdien nie om gelukkig te wees of selfs net ‘n bietjie rus en vrede te geniet nie. Ek neem aan dis omdat jy alreeds te veel trauma ervaar het en net nie kan glo dat dinge beter kan gaan nie.
What happened to your friend happened to me with a diagnostic test – the clinic rang me to say the result was negative. I panicked – negative is not a good thing thing, right? so I asked very timidly and the nurse clarified – negative means no disease! Phew! 🙂 One lives and learns…
Sweet relief! I’m happy that you received good news.
🙂 The pregnancy test tale actually made me laugh out loud, I can just imagine the relief when you told her.
And in those days when even breathing in and out was a sin, phew!, you have no idea.
Maggies, jy trek al by R en ek kry nie gelees nie. Elke aand besluit ek ek gaan lees en dan is dit te laat. Gelukkig kan mens darem terugblaai. Die massa opruiery is maar altyd n probleem. Doerdie dae het maar baie stress veroorsaak oor eintlik beuselagtighede as mens dit met vandag vergelyk.
Ja, ook maar goed ons het nie toe geweet wat voorlê nie.
Netso. Dis amper angswekkend as mens so terugdink aan hoe dit was en nou is!
Knowledge is indeed power… but with power should come responsibility! 😉
Yup, because we need to take it one step further and use the knowledge wisely.
ah, a very meaningful read. 🙂