Mom's leg has been giving her fits, off and on, for a few years now. The last few months, the discomfort has been fairly acute. First, it felt like the knee, then behind the knee, then above and below the knee. It just hurt. She did nothing about it. Sure, she put ice and heat on it. She went to her general physician. What she didn't do was go to an orthopedist or chiropractor. The two members of the family with medical training thought the problem was her hip abductors. Still, nothing. Finally, this week, Mom went to the chiropractor. It was her hip abductor. She's had a few treatments, and is doing much better. Thanks for asking. So, why did Mom wait so long to do something about her leg? Fear of the unknown. Mom was afraid she would need surgery on her knee, and fear that surgery could be the answer kept her in pain and ignorance.
Fear of the unknown is powerful. I think it may very well be one of the most powerful fears that exist. We see it all the time here in the Trenches. Abused children want to return to the homes of their abusive parents because it's better to deal with the devil you know than the unknown. Abused spouses stay with their abusers for various reasons, but one of the reasons is fear of the unknown. What if the abuser is right, and they can't live on their own? What if they really can't do better somewhere else? The housewife who hasn't worked outside the home doesn't know how she would support herself, so she stays. The retiree can't survive without his entire pension check; if it's divided, he can't pay his bills, so he stays. Fear keeps them prisoner. Knowledge may or may not make the abuse victim, the housewife or the retiree leave an unhappy marriage, but it gives them the information they need to make an informed decision. It's different staying or leaving from fear of the unknown, than making the same decision from a place of knowledge. Fear of the unknown is paralyzing; knowledge is liberating. Here in the Trenches.
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