Throughout most of my adult life, I've been aware of what I later learnt to be ACEs. Those experiences in childhood and early adult life that leave traces in later habits, patterns, feelings and perceptions.
I was fortunate. My mom was there, and being very inspiring, knowledgeable and intelligent, she always extended her own faith in humanity, arts, life, love and me to me, encircling me in love and faith in the future, amidst a sea of uncertainty. So did competent teachers, good friends and adults with flight simulators for me to geek.
My real dad being an alcoholic with narcissistic tendencies, and my stepdad being massively affected by PTSD caused by, shall we say, Latin American dictatorial, cold-war infused roughness, and, consequential, with everlasting problems relating to interpersonal relationships, alcohol abuse and mental health problems... well, we had enough stuff challenging that before mentioned encirclement of love and faith in the future, and I had to develop methods of coping and consoling my own experiences of the infamous existential vacuum caused by the meaninglessness of all that.
Fast-forward a number of years, and many more thoughts, feelings, and pieces of work later, you would probably judge me successful in professional and private life. I would say so too, but I have been, and always will be, knowledgeable about the inner desert journey that many of us have been on. Because ACEs don't just evaporate. They quickly become part of your fabric in a young age and influence the thoughts and feelings you have. They have been to me, and even though I chose pursue to practice my ACEs gymnastics - learning how to handle and control those muscles - a long time ago, they still, to this day, influence me to some degree.
So, I have to put effort, knowledge and competencies into figuring out how to help myself and others. As the adult child of an adult family, I find it easier to help others than myself, but I'm learning to help myself, and I believe that technology can help myself and others learn, persist, practice, and share what we need to learn and live - living the best lives possible, while we work towards ensuring that next generations suffer less and less from ACEs than we did.
We can do a lot to help ourselves and each other face and deal with the ACEs in our lives, and I believe that technology can help turbo-charge our individual processes of betterment.
So while I do fine in my day-to-day and wear that suit alright, I never will be able to discard memories of that desert walk of facing ACEs. As part of my life expression, I know that I have work with transforming that existential vacuum into helpful technology that is inclusive, loving, and omnipresent for people in the long haul.
Technology that is usable and spans platforms. Technology that doesn't leak sensitive data to all those who would like to judge, monetize, and confine based on superficial risk assessments. Technology that allows us to grow as human beings.
Because we all deserve that persistent encirclement of love and faith in our humanity, dignity, and worth as human beings, no matter the number of ACEs that can be checked.
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