I recently watched The Fallout, a Megan Park film about the emotional aftermath of high school shootings. In one scene, the lead character Vada (played by Jenna Ortega) sits with her father on a hilltop overlooking the ocean. “I feel so empty,” she says.
Her father reminds her that she experienced something most people don’t—most people shouldn’t—in their lifetime. Then he screams into the trees. “Try it. It feels good,” he says.
“I’m scared to go to school every day!” Vada shouts. “I’m scared to sleep!”
“I’m scared to send my kids to school!” her father stands up, screams out at the water. “I’m scared of time!”
The two of them stand there together on the hill and continue shouting, releasing their fears and feelings into oblivion.
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In the past week, I’ve noticed myself carrying a lot of heavier emotions. I didn’t experience a direct trauma like the one in the film, but I have been feeling overwhelmed witnessing the war and trauma happening in the world. I imagine many of us resonate as…
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