There Are No Words

I had a Friday evening free and the house to myself, so I decided to watch a movie called "Human Trafficking". There are really no words for what this movie did to me. The brutality of the sex trade and its insidious nature are portrayed so well that it literally made me sick. When the film ended, I was curled up on the couch, crying (which I had been doing for at least 2/3 of the movie). The idea that human beings could do this to other human beings is difficult for me to grasp, but I know it happens. It makes me want to do three things:

1. Vomit. It really is that upsetting. As a woman, all I could think was What if this happened to me or my sister or my friend? And how would you even begin to put your life back together?

2. Go find a place where this happening and bust out all the women. (I know that I am not equipped to do this, but if I ever got a chance ...) Actually, it does make me consider finding out if there are any local groups who reach out to women trapped in prostitution or help them deal with the issues afterward. On the way home from work tonight, I must have passed half a dozen strip joints--so sad.

3. Pray, pray, pray! This is a world wide evil, and we are all kidding ourselves if we think we are smart enough to bring it down ourselves. Only God can stop something this evil. Then there are the victims. How do you ever live a normal life after being exploited like this?! It seems that healing in these situations really comes by miracle only.

For the time being, I think I am done watching any kind of dramas about modern-day slavery. Another one might push me over the edge. If you want to get a feel for the real evil of slavery, especially the sex trade, this movie does that. But be careful; it is explicit and hard to watch.

Times I Wish I Had a Camera ...

1. When I pass the "Brothers' Heating and Cooling" billboard on a 60º morning: Said billboard features a bright red LED of the current temperature and a picture of two goofy looking men wearing down jackets and earmuffs and saying, "Brrrr... it could always be better." I laugh every time, because it's rarely cold enough here for that billboard to make any sense.

2. When I pass the "MyTV12" sign: This one points to the infamous 485/77 interstate bottleneck and says, "My Traffic Jam." I spend a lot of time glaring at that sign while waiting to merge.

3. When a woman in a Subaru Outback-type, crunchy-granola-girl hatchback cuts me off in traffic: Her only bumper sticker? A blue box that says (in white letters) "Teach Peace!" She is doing a tremendous job of that with her driving.

Unfortunately, these moments often strike me while I'm driving, which does not lend itself to safe or unblurry photography. But use your imaginations and smile with me.