“Arrow Kills Attacker”
Dallas Times Herald, April 1, 1988
By Bill Muller, of the Times Herald staff
Introduction to newspaper article:
This traumatic and life-changing event that occurred on the morning of my 15th birthday was the culmination of a dysfunctional marriage between my mother and stepfather that lasted for approximately 6 years. Despite the intensity of this event alone, most of the psychological and emotional damage had already been done during my earlier childhood, as I had to endure the abusive relationship between my mother and stepfather.
One would think that surviving this event was the end of the trauma, the slaying of the dragon. And in a way it was. But it was also the beginning of another battle. It was a battle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that would last for many years.
So I had a new dragon to slay. But that dragon was within me. It took many years to realize this fact, and then to accept the truths behind the pain. But once I realized and accepted these truths, I was able to go on and slay this other dragon that tormented me.
The intent in sharing my story is to help those that may be dealing with their own pain. To comfort those that might be tormented with their own inner dragons that feel that they are alone in this battle. But also to give inspiration to those dealing with emotional trauma, and to inform that there is always help, hope, and guidance out there in order to overcome the pain.
Jaime Leon de la Parra
