We Live in Two Very Different Worlds

We live in two very different worlds. In “my” world, I can relax and breathe comfortably most of the time. Walks in the dark generally aren’t scary. I’m not followed when I shop in a store. Driving our car is simple. I’m not worried about being stopped by the police, or if I am stopped, that my life will be in potential danger.

My father was a “victim”. He was 46 years old. His cancer shrunk the entry to his stomach so that less and less food could sustain him. He was afraid!

He tried to deny the walls closing in on him. My father struggled to keep working. He became too weak to carry his briefcase. Dad taught a class roughly 18 hours before he died in his sleep.

Many women and girls, and a lesser number of men and boys have survived rape and/or sexual assault.

Are they free of danger? Are they more likely to be victimized (again) than you or I?

Rape destroys a significant percentage of marriages within a short period of time. Rape causes survivors to defer or end college or trade school. Rape results in serious mental health issues that its survivors frequently face for the rest of their lives.

My life partner struggles with physical health issues far more frequently than I do. She also lives with her history of her abusive relationship while young.