…continued from previous post.
Many years later, Homer Evans had this to say: “Still today the vision of that little boy haunts me. During my time in law enforcement I saw a lot of people die but that one incident made such a lasting impression on me. For years I had bad dreams recalling that little boy. I would wake from the dreams sobbing and in a cold sweat. I had mood swings that made it difficult for my wife and me. I tried for years to suppress the event in my work with the public, which meant the only place it could come out was at home. I thank God she stuck with me during those years. In those days there was no counseling available. You dealt with your problems. There would have been a stigma if anyone found out you were having issues.”
It happens that Homer is a skilled amateur painter. After many years trying in vain to overcome the effects of the boy’s violent death, Homer began painting a picture about it. Slowly, almost magically, the act of creating this image relieved his pain and brought closure to the incident and its aftermath. The image he painted is kept on his office wall. (…to be continued.)
Tags: PTSD
