“Triggered”

As brought to you by cowboys

Must have been about 2017.

I had my face painting business. It was around Halloween and I’d posted some special effects horror and wounds on my business page.

At first, I got the compliments. People were praising my work, telling me how realistic it looked.

But then something else happened.

Something I hadn’t foreseen.

I got a comment that said;

“This could be really triggering for some people. I think you should remove it.”

To make it worse, it was from a friend!

I was taken a back.

Hang on a minute….

It was a face painting page, it was Halloween.

It was not an image on my personal page and it clearly stated it was art work.

That’s when I realised how crazy things had become. That this culture of ‘being offended’ and ‘being triggered’ not only took itself a little too seriously but wanted everyone else on board too!

‘My feelings are your problem’ seems to be the mantra. But they’re NOT are they? Because feelings are subjective and as an adult, YOU have to take care of them yourself.

You can’t expect other people to pander to them. Everyone is potentially distressed by something, after all.

Any panic, revulsion or whatever else may occur is YOUR problem.

OR

Maybe…..just maybe…..it could actually be a key to having some deep and interesting conversations with yourself about why you feel the way you do.

You know, transformative work!

Instead of bleating.

If you’re frequently ‘triggered’, then perhaps it’s time to start scrolling on, turning off, muting or blocking.

Natural compassion and taking care not to piss off others is a lovely thing - human decency - WHEN IT’S GENUINE!

But that is not what we are experiencing.

We are seeing ordinary people policing each other like naff plastic plods.

What THEN happens, is SELF CENSORSHIP. People start to think twice about what they post. Not because they are ‘being kind’ but because they are bloody scared.

Of being banned or unfriended.

Oh, there’s a gun that’s cocked and loaded alright, but it’s not me or anyone else in your social media feed that’s holding it.

Yeah, the folks who brought you ‘triggered’ are the same cowboys who brought you everything else.

And

When we all start getting ‘triggered’, there’s only one thing that dies and it’s freedom of expression.

Well, you can all fuck off.

‘Trigger’ for me will always mean a character in ‘Only Fools and Horses’.

And if that ‘triggers’ you ‘Dave’, then maybe Del Boy has some knock off masks you can buy.

You know, the ones that stop bullets as well as everything else.

You’re welcome.