An internet friend drew a spiky blobby thing.
It kept him awake, and anxious.
He was a nervous wreck.
He was in therapy because of it.
He wanted it to go away.
It was his childhood trauma.
He had a name for it, a general name.
Möykky.
It means A lump, gob, blob; a shapeless object.
He also said it was a bump in the road.
His drawing was good.
And I love the word.
It’s a great way to describe something that we’re dealing with.
Something scary, ugly, often traumatic.
A nameless blob.
Then it hit me. He drew it.
The source of his anxiety.
It was in front of him. In front of me.
He was running from it. Trying to forget it.
You can’t forget about a pothole in the road.
You can avoid it.
You figure out where it sits.
You can try filling it in.
The only way to stay safe is by knowing the pothole.
Get to know your Möykky.
Give it a name.
Give it a face.
Where did it come from? Why does it do things?
What is its history? Who where its parents?
Don’t let it roam around like a wild thing. Contain it.
Let it live inside your mind as if it were on exhibit.
Our trauma is a part of us. We didn’t have that choice.
My trauma has been family.
Yours might be systemic racism.
Or a terrible accident.
Or losing a parent too soon.
Whatever the reason, embrace your Möykky.
Explore it with your therapist.
Don’t let it control your life.
You are the master of your fate.
You are the captain of your soul.
PS – The definition is is from wiktionary. I submit that Möykky is a most excellent word and should be made a part of DSM6. My friend says the umlaut is important.
Behavior, study of... 