Depression

A casual watcher of "The Tribe" probably thought all the kids were really something--their world turned upside down, so what did they do? Pretty much just got on with life and finding all they needed to survive.

They hunted food.

They hauled water.

They found places to live that could be easily defended.

They formed tribes and stayed together.

They lived.

Hell, if you just watched a few episodes, you probably thought these were incredibly well-balanced young people in an unfortunate situation who just used their common sense to start rebuilding their world.

Pullllleeeeez!

"The Tribe" created some incredibly well-rounded normal kids, kids who had to deal with horrors beyond belief. Yeah, they did the best they could but they weren't little adults. Being a kid is tough enough. I can't begin to imagine the stress they were under. It's no wonder depression seized many of them in large and small ways.

Did you miss it?

Among the youngest who were traumatized was our Cloe. She could barely function, barely communicate. If Amber and Dal hadn't taken her in--somewhat forcibly--she would have just been more Zoot-bait. It wasn't until she bonded with a cow that she started to come out of her shell and deal with the world.

The older ones weren't immune by any stretch of the imagination. Salene's depression surfaced as bulimia, something pretty hard to deal with in a world where food was precious and in short supply.

Can you imagine the unbelieveable pressure of being in a ruined world and being a young mother? Trudy was lucky she didn't break down long before the Chosen got hold of her.

Lex lost himself in booze. May pretended it was all a big party. Mouse lost her brother and then her surrogate brother Sammy and finally just had to get out, glad the Ecos were willing to take her in.

A psychiatrist would've had a field day with our Tribe friends. Violence, death, fanaticism, survival--that was all just the tip of the iceburg.

Depression is too common, in Tribe world or real world. Who among us really has the skills to deal with it? But maybe skills are beside the point. Maybe having friends is more important? Friends who won't leave you no matter how crazed you get. And maybe just finding the guts to deal...

Every time I read about teen suicide or bullying or any of the other crap that kids and young teens have to live through as part of their growing-up, my mind flicks back to Zoot and the Chosen and the Technos and the whole host of crazies that inhabited "The Tribe."

Maybe anything really is possible...

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "the Tribe"