Why didn’t she go? Why did she stay and take the abuse? Okay, maybe it wasn’t physical abuse; but isn’t mental and emotional abuse just as bad? Me, myself, I think mental abuse is so much more worse. Pain fades and words remain forever.
Leah couldn’t go. She was forced into a mental trap all her own. She had the right timing presented to her. She could have packed her bags, stored her belongings, and went to a brand new location with a close friend, so why didn’t she?
Comfort Zone; this is why she stayed behind. So you ask, what is a comfort zone?
Comfort zone is described as;
The comfort zone is a psychological state in which a person feels familiar, at ease, in control and experiences low anxiety and stress. In the zone a steady level of performance is possible.[1]
Bardwick defines the term as “a behavioral state where a person operates in an anxiety-neutral position.”[2] Brown describes it as “Where our uncertainty, scarcity and vulnerability are minimized — where we believe we’ll have access to enough love, food, talent, time, admiration. Where we feel we have some control.
Leah was terrified of giving up all she was used to. She knew how to react when she was torn down; naked with his words. She knew how long HE would stay angry. She knew that if things got real bad, there was a police station nearby and she also had her car.
Leah sat many days crying into her pillow, wishing she would have gone, and feeling too much of a coward to make that phone call. What if she did call? Maybe she and her friendship would be ruined by too close quarters.
Maybe she wouldn’t have the money to be able to take care of herself if she didn’t find a job. Sure, her friend had told her over and over; jobs are easy to snag with your experience. Yet, here she sat, alone, lonely, sometimes feeling like a used dish rag.
One day arrived when the sun wasn’t shining. HE had been out too late the evening before. HE had drank too much, stating this is the only way he knew how to unwind. Leah sat at the kitchen table drinking her third cup of coffee, when HE got up to use the bathroom.
The dog began to bark, letting his owner know he was ready to play. After coming out of the bathroom, HE suddenly kicked the dog. The dog yelped. Leah stood up and went to rescue him.
HE didn’t like all the noise. When HE saw Leah coming he let her get close enough and then he punched her, flinging her body up against the wall. Darkness over came her and she went limp to the floor. The dog hid under the bed, and HE went back to his room and slammed the door.
The mailman was knocking on the screen door. He had a signature paper with him that one of the adults needed to sign. He knocked a couple of times and then heard Leah’s voice. He tried the door latch and it opened.
Upon seeing her, he called the EMS. HE was arrested and Leah was taken to the Emergency room. After being tested she was released, but no one was there to pick her up. She had no one to call.
She sat down on the curb outside the hospital and wept, wishing she had made different choices in her life. It was then that she saw two pennies, heads face up near her. She picked them up and held them tightly in her hands, and she began to pray.
It was less than a half an hour that the mailman stopped back by to check on her. He saw her crying. “What is wrong Miss? Can I do something to help? Are you okay”?
Leah took out a small notebook from her purse. She flipped the pages until she came to the right place. She handed him the page, pointing to the number. He took out his phone and called the number.
(This story, my friends is a fictional story. I wrote this because so many women feel like they can’t make a change because of fear of leaving their comfort zone. If you recognize yourself in this, you are not alone. If you feel all alone, you are not. Make a call, call a friend, a minister, family, or police. There is help.)
Oh, you ask what happened to Leah? The number that was dialed was her best friend. She is now living happily with her friend in a location miles from her old home, doing very well at her new job.
Who I am 
You must be logged in to post a comment.