It’s Not What Happens To Us That Matters; What Matters Is Our Attitude Toward What Happens - Cousineau

Over 2 weeks ago, around 2am, I was walking home from the bars in Hillcrest. Yah, I was totally drunk and what was I doing? I had my face buried in my phone, texting, not paying attention to anything around me. Out of nowhere, a right hook came to my face and someone began to continuously pound their fists into my face, the back of my head, my arms, until I’m down on the ground. They snatched the phone out of my hands, reached into my back pocket, took my wallet, and fled the scene of the crime. I got up, totally in shock to what just happened; it happened so fast! I didn’t know where they took off to, didn’t know if they were still watching me so I took off and started heading home. I quickedned the pace and began to run, paranoid that I was about to get another beating. It wasn’t until I was halfway home I touched my face and felt the blood coming down my nose; I didn’t know how bad my injuries were.

I got home and examined myself in the mirror. My face was entirely covered with blood. I must have started bleeding from the first punch. Not only on my face, but there was blood down my arms, and all over my hands. Aaron helped me clean up my injuries, called the bank to cancel my cards and the next day, sober from the experience, I examined and reflected what had happened the night before: I was attacked and mugged.

I had a black eye, half of my face swollen like a chipmunk, serious pain in the back of my head, the side, my jaw, and eye socket. My cheek, nose, lips and gums were completely numb. Thankfully I still had my top braces on or else more than likely a couple of teeth would have been knocked out. I had a major bruise on my right arm; my left elbow was scraped and bruised. Luckily, there was no money in my wallet and the stolen phone was the iPhone 3G I had received two weeks beforehand for my birthday from Aaron. Later on, a police officer came over and took my police report and some pictures. After that, I moved on.

I continued my life as if nothing ever happened. To my close ones, I told them what happened because my injuries were only obvious and of course Aaron had posted something on Facebook that acknowledged my situation. Because of this, news had spread and others in the community heard what had happened to me and were very concerned but I didn’t reach out because I didn’t want any attention from this situation. I just acted normal, healed myself up, and continued my routine of going to school and what not. A week later, my friends are asking me: have you been to the doctor? Have you talked to a counselor? You talk about the situation so easily; isn’t this all hard to talk about and deal with? Aren’t you bothered by this? Doesn’t a situation like this change you? Aren’t you more scared to walk down the streets now? The answer to all those questions are... no.

Like Cousineau says, “It’s not what happens to us that matters; what matters is our attitude toward what happens.” What had happened to me was a serious situation; it was a serious matter. But how I look at life is this: shit happens.

This could have happened to anyone and it happened to me! Because of how serious the matter is, I could gain sympathy by crying. I could gain attention by playing a victim. I could remain scared by not talking about this and staying home, hiding from the reality of the outside world. (The reality being it is a violent world out there, regardless how safe or comfortable you feel in your environment.) But that’s not me. I literally got knocked down to the ground. But metaphorically, what do you do when you get knocked down? Do you remain down and cry about being knocked down or do you get back up and continue walking? I chose the latter. It’s not being attacked and mugged that matters because again, it could happen to anyone. What matters is my attitude toward what happened. I can’t let this situation get the better of me and I have to remain strong and focused in life. All this was, was another struggle in life; another obstacle life threw at me to overcome.

Like Cousineau also stated, “struggle is inevitable and those who learn to perceive it as an obstacle rather than a burden make life a lot easier for themselves.” Because of how I perceive this obstacle, treating it nothing more than an obstacle and not a burden, has been a lot easier for me to move on and continue living my life in a positive light.

Everyone has a different and unique set of mind and everyone handles things differently, in their own way. This is my way of coping with the situation.