Read on Twitter
Thoughts from a "nobody" on these quick calls for the nation to “heal and move on” from this week’s insurrection.
A thread. 1/
A thread. 1/
2/ In the mid-90s, I injured a tendon in my ankle. Swelled up softball sized. I rested it as much as possible, and eventually I could walk again, but there was occasional pain & limping.
3/ Fast forward to the early 2000s. Shortly after rehabbing an injury to my other ankle, the tendon from before was re-aggravated, and this time the pain was BAD.
4/ Like, couldn’t stand for long, meds didn’t help, felt like someone had jabbed a broken knife into my ankle and dragged it diagonally from ankle to knee to hip BAAAAD.
5/ Looked into having surgery, but was told that insurance wouldn’t cover it, so I lived with the pain for several more years. It was hideous.
6/ New job, new doctor, and new insurance allowed me to finally do something about it. Turns out the tendon had previously torn, healed on its own, then got overstretched, and that was causing the intense pain.
7/ Surgery was a success, but I couldn’t walk on it for at least two months. Went from stuck at home for 2 weeks, to a cast & wheelchair, and then to an air boot & crutches.
8/ Finally, I got the OK to bear weight, but forget about doing things normally; my strength was shot. PT was an absolute must, thank goodness, as well as practicing those exercises between appointments.
9/ The surgery took place in 2009, and other than occasional stiffness, that ankle has been pain free ever since.
10/ What does all of this have to do with “heal and move on”?
11/ There was no way I could have gotten to pain free without finally getting the tendon fixed, taking all the time needed to heal, and then strengthening the area once I was finally able to bear weight.
12/ America, we ain’t had surgery yet to heal our wounds from Wednesday. We haven’t even had a consultation to determine the extent of these injuries.
13/ Hell, we haven’t fully recognized, let alone healed, any of our other wounds from enslavement, genocide, racism, misogyny, homophobia & transphobia, classism, xenophobia, and so much else.
14/ And what happens if we don’t take the time to acknowledge, treat, heal, and rehab those wounds and weakened areas? A whole bunch of pain. Compounded. Mutated into shit like Wednesday.
15/ If we as a nation don’t fully treat it, we’ll most certainly repeat it. And I ain’t down with an insurrection sequel. The uncancelled series of Racism, Misogyny, and LGBTQIA-phobia are bad enough as it is.
16/ It doesn’t help that we’re an impatient nation; when we do decide that something needs to change, we wanna snap our fingers and TAH-DAH, be all fixed & ready, like nothing ever even happened. “Heal and move on.”
17/ Many people have, for decades (generations, really), pushed America to get consultations to determine the extent of this nation’s wounds, and have tried to move us to create treatment plans so we can heal & get stronger.
18/ But like clockwork, other people in America show that they don’t wanna do that. That they don’t see a need or a value in finally, FINALLY, getting proper treatment for the pain.
19/ “Moving on” without really treating & healing does nothing but guarantee that we’ll hurt again, and that we’ll stay weak in one area, then overcompensate and cause weakness in another area, and then BOOM, we’re laid up for much longer than necessary.
20/ Healing from the insurrection is going to take multiple forms, including accountability for as many people involved as possible, even if those people are leaders of the nation.
21/ Healing will also need to include acknowledging how our historical, numerous, and ongoing isms, phobias, and lust for supremacy provided ingredients for the rotten stew that fed the insurrection.
22/ And don’t expect to get stronger without doing that PT, y’all...
23/ Apologizing and taking responsibility for harm caused. Committing to not repeating that harm, and to changing thought & behavior patterns and policies that lead to pain.
24/ Practicing doing better, and then ACTUALLY doing better, in public AND in private. Making restitution or repair whenever possible.
25/ The way I see it, America still ain’t ready to really heal.
26/ We talk big game about knowing that we’re not perfect, but when presented with an opportunity to set strong boundaries, demand & pursue accountability, take responsibility for our shit, cut it out, heal it, and strengthen it...
27/ ...…we show, yet again, that we don’t even wanna go in for a consultation. We’re totally good with limping along, knowing we’re in pain but saying that we’re fine. “We’ve healed and have moved on.”
28/28 Just another festering wound, bruise and scar on the body of America. 
