My Teenage Zombie by David L. Henderson

Author:David L. Henderson [Henderson, David L. (MD)]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2016-09-02T00:00:00+00:00

Strategy Questions

What resources do you have at your disposal that you can use to help deal with the mental, emotional, and physical fatigue you’re experiencing with your zombie teenager? How effective have you been at using them?

What attitudes and actions can you adopt to overcome the hopelessness you may be experiencing right now?

CHAPTER 9

The Fear of Humiliation

Have you ever noticed how cheap human life is in a horror film? Part of the guilty pleasure of a monster movie is watching an otherwise normal, everyday person being torn limb from limb by a swarm of savage beasts. No glory. No heroism. Just brutal, purposeless humiliation as the final memory of one’s existence. We are terrified by it, but we can’t look away.

Every human being has dignity, an inherent worthiness of honor and respect. From a Judeo-Christian perspective, dignity comes from being created in the image of God. Unfortunately, we lose our dignity when we act less and less like the design God intended for humanity and replace it with one that resembles an animal fulfilling the immediate passions of the moment without reflecting on our actions or considering the dignity of others. It is natural to want to hide our indignity. After all, Adam and Eve did it, and we’ve been doing it ever since. When our kids do undignified things, we feel the shame. We cannot help but feel that it is a humiliating mark on our parenthood and thus our character.

The isolation we feel when battling an undead adolescent is, in part, our choice. We would prefer to keep the challenges of resurrecting our children behind closed doors. If we could, we would lock them in the attic like Mr. Rochester’s wife in Jane Eyre or follow the advice of Mark Twain and seal them in a barrel. We know too well what the prying eyes and wagging tongues of neighbors, church members, coworkers, family, and friends can do to our reputation and pride. No one wants to be the talk of the town, the subject of insincere prayer requests, or the freak show at the school carnival. When we open up to others about the problems we are having with our children, we run the risk of being judged negatively. When struggling with our teenagers’ problems, we are vulnerable, not just to the abuses of our child, but to the degradation of society. If we reach out to “the village” for help, the “villagers” may come running to gawk at our fragility. If we open up, will people be respectful, appreciative of our honesty, gentle with our pain, empowering in our weakness, and as confidential as possible? We hope so, but the temptation to live in secret and avoid the embarrassment is always there. Here are some tips to help you confront this fear.

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