The other day, we met one of my husband’s acquaintances and he asked me what I was up to nowadays. I told him that I was working for a non-profit that helped victims of Domestic Violence (DV). His next question surprised me because he asked if I knew someone who had been in such a situation. My ‘No’ got me an unexpected response. He questioned me why I was working for this cause and why I felt strongly about it. Not wanting to be rude, I refrained from giving a sarcastic reply. Instead I told him that I thought most women do feel strongly about this issue. He gave me this odd look, but nonetheless let it go. His expression clearly conveyed his disbelief as to why someone would want to get involved with such cases. Later on I asked my husband if he thought the question was weird as well or was it just me. His affirmative nod made me think more about the conversation.

‘Is it necessary for us to have experienced something personally in order to help someone?’. I don’t agree with this. If we believe in something, I think that it is good enough to go out there and help. Apart from DV, there are so many other causes out there that people work for. Have they all been in situations like that? Of course not. It is their belief that draws them towards it.

I do realize that if I was working in another career, this sort of conversation probably wouldn’t have taken place. DV is a topic that most people still feel uncomfortable discussing. When I started, I was warned that I would experience unpleasant reactions from some people. For me, this was the first time I met someone who reacted a little negatively. It hasn’t deterred me in any way, but at least now I know what else to expect.