Ian gave me flowers after I finished my training for RAINN, he got me them because he is proud of me. And really, my heart melted, I AM SO LOVED. But upon receiving those flowers, I realized something else: I AM SO PROUD OF ME.
This morning I spent two hours completing a practice session for RAINN. The scenario I was given was incredibly similar to what actually happened to me, and I have to say it was liberating to play the part, to tell my story and the story of so many other young girls in a training session, using it to teach volunteers how to help individuals like myself. It’s powerful.
The scenario I was given today: “You are a 16 year old girl. Four weeks ago you went to a college party with some friends. You woke up the next day in a room you didn’t remember with no clothes on the bottom half your body. You don’t know what to do and you can’t tell your parents what happened. But what will you do if you are pregnant?? You have started to think about “ending it all”.”
My real story: I was a 16 year old girl, at a high school graduation party. My friend told my mom she would stay be with me the whole night. I woke up the next day with vomit in my hair and my clothes on the floor. I couldn’t tell my parents. 10 days later my cousin Marissa passed away. I didn’t speak about my assault for a year.
When I tell my story, as I have done many times, I’m not just telling it for myself. I know that my story is not any different than the other thousands of individuals that are affected by sexual violence, and unfortunately too many of them are silenced. This morning as I was telling bits of my own story and bits of the scenario I was given, I thought to myself: I am going to help so many people, and this time not by sharing my story, but by helping them to tell theirs. And that is an incredible privilege.
So on that note, Happy International Women’s Day!
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