Beware of Appearances

 Paint Party Friday
29 faces of September
My computer is giving me trouble this week.
 I wrote this a while back after reading about
 woman whose claims were dismissed by a 
celebrity partner.   

Miranda

Men with perfectly painted sheds to match their perfectly painted

 homes, in their perfectly groomed yards are often sorely imperfect.

 Men who seem jovial and kind to neighbors, ones who wear their

 party face, and go to church religiously are not always as they

 seem to those who know them intimately!

Men who are adored movie stars and seemingly
 loving fathers can be Hyde, behind closed doors!

  Quiet unassuming people who make us laugh with
 their contemptible humour may be extremely 
verbally abusive to those they appear to love!

Mental illness can be hidden behind a beautiful smile, 

a quiet demeanor, a generous hard working spirit.

 Alcoholism, and drug abuse can do the same! 

Many woman suffer behind closed doors and no one

  knows what to believe! Friends can't quite comprehend

 it, and often times the victim wrestles with how to 

define abuse.

Milly exhausted after harvest

Their partner was mean  during a drunken stupor, is that abuse?

 He's impatient and snarly with his children when no one is

 watching, yet appears to be the perfect dad! Is that abuse? 

 He punches a hole in the wall instead of you! Is that a threat 

of abuse? He starts ranting and screaming for no particular

 reason or provocation. Children and partners are dumbfounded

 by the behavior and try to calm him down.....is that abuse?

 Mad at co workers he demeans you verbally! Is that abuse?

 

If it feels threatening, then it probably is! No need to doubt it! 

Love doesn't feel bad. Love is hard at times. It can be 

frustrating and irritating!

Love can be demanding, and unappreciative, 

thoughtless, careless, and forgetful at times! It 

just can be. However it should be a knowing. 

You should feel valued, at ease, safe and 

respected the majority of the time!

 Too many times women suffer in silence, covering for 

bad behavior. Shocked by it none the less, but still 

protective of those they love!

I'm Sammy a green dog, or am I?

 A lot of my art is rarely the true colour to what the

  image is. A metaphor for life! What we see on the

 outside is too often not the reality of what's 

on the inside!

 I bark all day long, I get away with it because I'm adorable!

Sadly I learned that as a young child when my safety was

 compromised by an  extended family member! Thereafter,

 even as young teen much older adult males also covertly

  propositioned me. Some forced me into unwanted

 uncomfortable positions!  Those you would

 never expect to be so smarmy!

I'm cute but I have bad manners, and hump legs in public!

I had a parent who looked up to those with 

more education. Holding  too much credence in

 those who held a degree...leaving me a little 

more vulnerable than I should have been.

Cute eh? I nip at Children when no one is looking!

 She did however educate me on predators 

 of which I bumped into many along the way. 

 It's why I was a very informative 

and over-protective parent at times!

I still ask parents to be overly cautious with their 

 children and once even demanded my brother

 hear me out when I felt his child was being

 assessed by someone unsafe!

I pee inside  because I don't like the cold!

 There are always things you don't know 

about people. Best to always be wary and safe!

Have you ever been surprised that 

someone wasn't who they appeared to be?

In hindsight were there clues?

" The gift of Fear" is a wonderful

book by Gavin De Becker  

highlighting human behavior  and safety!

I've yet to read " Protecting the Gift"

about protecting teens and young children!

I have no doubt it's excellent since

he is such an expert!