Chapter 2: Defining the Moment

When I was 9 years old, I was in a high-speed boat accident. I almost died. I watched my uncle drown. This traumatic event disconnected me from myself and the world. It defined who I was. My family never spoke about it, only burying the moment in silence. It would be 45 years before I reconnected with myself and began to truly heal. Every survivor experiences trauma differently. Every survivor adapts to the symptoms of trauma differently. But every survivor shares one thing in common: Something happened to them.

This chapter is about childhood trauma, its lifelong effects, and a new practice that addresses trauma through adult education. First, I will describe my journey of living with trauma, and how art became an expression for my frozen emotions. Second, I will outline how I found healing by creating Defining the Moment, a workshop that addresses trauma through screenwriting. I will then explain what happened when I taught this workshop in a women’s jail. Finally, I will illustrate the connection between childhood trauma and adult learning. Adult education is fueled by the pursuit of selfknowledge, and Defining the Moment is a vehicle to take one there.