“Weiner! Weiner! Anthony's a Weiner!” And the circle of kids grows larger around Anthony as he hurries through the playground, and tries to get to math class early---just to escape the taunting. His head is ringing with shame.
“Hey Weeeeener.....are you really a weener?” Says the tough kid.
Being small, Anthony worries also about the slaps, pushes, thumps and pinning to the ground by larger boys, the fourteen year olds when Anthony was eleven or twelve. It wasn't like they were smashing him in the mouth (where the teachers might deign to intervene)—but the slugs in the arm hurt, and quintessentially, the humiliation devastating.
Oh, how the loathing of oneself can be so strong in a being so young.
Seriously, traumatic and wretched events are, by default, a portion of the personality carried forth into adulthood. Here, it becomes difficult.....what portion made it into adulthood? Much behavior springs from that answer.
So forward steps the man. It is not clear when Mr. Weiner decided to not take the verbal abuse any longer, or when he began to work his body into a pillar of strength, but amongst other manifestations of this reformation was likely a bloody nose or two along the way suffered by those who continued to taunt.
Clear enough, too, is his anger. When he pointed and screamed to an unnamed colleague that 'the gentleman will observe the rule of order....!!! and a variety of other explosive episodes surely alienated him from other Congressmen and Congresswomen---perhaps engendering outright fear.
Then, there is Anthony's sex story which has so dominated our press corp; as if to out-titillate one another, picture after picture began appearing. Some, though clothed, from the Congressional Gym.
Apparently, the Congressional Gym is sacrosanct, with no pictures allowed.
It was socially unacceptable enough for Congressman Weiner to engage in the 'sexting' world, one imagines, without taking pictures in the Gym. Perhaps Congressman Paul, for example, does not wish pictures taken of him bench pressing the entire weight of the Federal Reserve, or Congressman Eric Cantor not wanting to show off his feeble legs, despite his overwhelming willingness to do so with his brain and communication skills.
One thing is certain. Childhood issues regarding esteem are no laughing matter, and aberrant reactive behavior to trauma is no surprise. One hopes another framework, or another internalized perspective will help the Congressman evolve beyond this moment in his life, and that his internal dissonance is healed.
We wish Anthony Weiner well in his every endeavor, as it is clear he is highly intelligent, passionate about fairness in politics, and a remarkable champion for human rights.
Comments