I found out about nuclear war in about '83. I was 8ish. I snuck out of bed to watch TV and my parents were watching a dystopian flick called "Threads". After about 5 minutes, I legged it back to bed, my heart thumping in my throat. In many ways, that was the end of my childhood.
For years after, the possibility of nuclear holocaust loomed over my little head with every passing plane. It ruined everything. Eventually though I found ways to reframe the threat, disassociate from the anxiety, compartmentalizing away until it didn't feel like a thing anymore.
It's still a thing though. It's a thing more than ever.
Cowardly people would say I "grew up" which is a projection. Honest people would say I put in place some strategies that were helpful as a child, but no longer useful as an adult. Courageous people have eschewed those strategies in themselves already.
I am no longer a powerless child who has no say in what happens, I'm a grown-ass adult who can do something about it. To keep those layers of comfortable dissociation and soothing reframes in place is not only dishonest, it's cowardice. Feel the fear and face the facts anyway.
Whenever you see someone dismiss the very real possibility of nuclear annihilation, you are seeing a child telling you the fairytales they use to get to sleep at night. As cute as that may be, it's what keeps this from being seen, which is what keeps the madness in place.
Remember that kid though? Remember how you just wanted some adults to stop being crazy, and stop making those stupid things? You wanted an adult to stand up and make it right? You can be that adult now. You SHOULD be that adult now. You owe it to your little self.
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