There isn't any division of time to express the marrow of our lives, the time between the explosion of lead from the muzzle and the meat impact, between the impact and the darkness. There's only barren instant replay that shows nothing new. I shot her; she fell; and there was an indescribable moment of silence, an infinite duration of time, and we all stepped back, watching the ball go around and around, ticking, bouncing, lighting for an instant, going on, heads and tails, red and black, odd and even...I think that moment ended. I really do. But sometimes, in the dark, I think that hideous random moment is still going on, that the wheel is even yet in spin, and I dreamed all the rest. What must it be like for a suicide coming down from a high ledge? I'm sure it must be a very sane feeling. That's probably why they scream all the way down.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Traumatic moments feel timeless and may replay endlessly in memory.
- In plain terms
- Violent moments feel long and replay in your head.
- What can you take from it?
- Trauma distorts time and memory.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does trauma change time?
- Can you stop the replay?
Another view
It mixes different events without clarity.
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