My son came home with tragic news yesterday. A 7th grade teacher at his middle school didn’t report in and when relatives were sent to his house, he was discovered on the floor dead. So far we don’t know the cause of his death. He was only in his 40’s but if I were to guess I would bet it was a heart attack.
I don’t know the teacher and my son is only in 6th grade so he didn’t know him either. But it really shook me up. First, the fact that the man was only in his 40’s and second, that he was a teacher. I have a great deal of respect for teachers.
However the other thing that bothered me was the way my son told the story. It was like the newscasters on TV who are so used to reporting news that even in the most tragic circumstances; they can sound like a robot.
He just didn’t seem really fazed by it and although I would love to attribute it to the fact that he didn’t know the teacher or that he is young, I think it’s really an example of being desensitized.
Try as I might to shelter and protect my children I can only do so much. We have restrictions set on the computer and on every television set in our home. I am careful about their friends and who they spend time with. They are not allowed to sleep by too many people’s houses except relatives and the couple of families we have known for several years.
I won’t pretend that my son doesn’t own some video games that have a degree of violence but I am still pretty selective about that. Yet our children, despite our protective measures, are bombarded by a violent world. Anytime the news is on or the radio station we listen to gives updates on local news, they hear about tragedy.
I do make it a point to share stories with my children when other children are abducted or crimes against them happen. I do this to show how dangerous the world can be. So yes, he is exposed to violence but some of it is necessary and some of it can’t be helped.
Yet I have to wonder…is he desensitized? It’s not just him, its most children and most adults. When we become surrounded by violent acts on a daily basis whether we invite them in or not it tends to desensitize us.
All I could think to do was emphasize to my son the tragedy of the story. I wanted him to know that I saw it as a very sad event. It’s my way of helping to break through that desensitization.
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