Didn’t Hurt

Tonic Records—School of Contemporary Dancers

The title comes from Rodney Decroo’s pseudo bravado to the beatings he experienced from his sadistic father as a child. This is a true story that demonstrates the pain that passes from one damaged generation to the next, causing hurt, unmet needs and feelings of inadequacy. False masculinity, defined as don’t start a fight but finish it, real men don’t show pain, deep emotion, or cry, taught him lessons that needed a lifetime of therapy to unlearn. His father was scarred from his time in Vietnam, as were far too many; and the brutality he unleashed upon his son would have been illegal in today’s, slightly more enlightened society. The damage he inflicted on his wife and family by his abuse and alcoholism, caused the unit to dissolve and scatter.

Rodney is a masterful and moving storyteller. His struggle to self acceptance is ongoing but he’s getting there. A touching note is that he was able to finally reconcile with his aging father, come to understand him better and to finally be thanked for his care and hear the magic words: ”I love you son.“ His mother’s story doesn’t end as well.

He spins off to another character, that of an extremely damaged street youth, which again shows the tragedy of abuse, the gift that keeps on taking. He had my heart held rapt from start to finish. I would highly recommend this serious piece to anybody, but if you struggle severely with PTSD, this might be a bit to close to home. Thoroughly from the heart and expertly done! Thank you!

Lisa Campbell