Teaspoons and buckets (and Robin Williams!)

Tonight's SVU was grand! Robin Williams is one of my favorite actors and did anyone else notice Frenchie from Grease as a nurse? Well, no spoilers, but the episode is psychologically enthralling and Mr. Williams proves his acting power once again.
As for class yesterday, talking with Ms. O'Mara from CARDV was interesting, but I really found myself feeling down about the world after talking with her. I truly admire that she is able to do this day in and day out. Even more than that, what she said about the abused women being so scared when the come into the shelter, and only six weeks later helping the new women to adjust to post-abuse life was utterly amazing! A human being really can withstand a lot, but that doesn't mean that anyone should have to go through the ordeal of domestic abuse.
I have been following the Austrian abuse/kidnapping case since it was revealed Sunday, and it is getting more disturbing by the hour. Can you imagine being locked away your whole life (as the 19 granddaughter of the abuser was) and then suddenly emerging into a media frenzy? I often have the same level of incredulity regarding the perps on Law and Order. For example, the episode we watched over the weekend, with the "Is this how you like it?" serial rapist, made me wonder how someone can become so mentally disconnected from what society considers normal and acceptable behavior. What does that to people? I realize that this particular serial rapist was just wired wrong, but there are far too many abusers and molesters for all to be mentally mismatched. What in society makes fathers who hide their daughters and have seven kids with her, or makes a man feel the best way to claim power is to rape a woman? How can society do this? Even more of a conundrum is the fact that this is the same society that saves victims of abuse and advocates for tougher rape legislation. The world is a big place with some dark corners, but I believe there are far more sunny parts than shadows.
At the beginning of this post I said that I was impressed by the ability of Ms. O'Mara to continue in her work. Although her longevity is amazing I think I sort of understand why she stays. The other women she works with keep her on track, and the women she helps instill the hope for humanity that one needs in such a job. Each abuse case probably breaks her heart, but every time a woman takes back power, stands up for herself, or decides to finally leave has to feel like a victory. It is draining the ocean with a teaspoon, but at least it is progress. I hope to have my own teaspoon in the future, but maybe by then society will have given groups like CARDV the support and agency to begin scooping buckets out of this sea of injustice. Who knows, perhaps one day that ocean will be an evaporated memory!