This blog introduces you to my special brand of BIKE. I show you how to find your Best self, access your Inner strength, tune in to your Killer instincts, and use your Expressive voice. It's inspiring, spiritual, quirky, and it's all in your head. It's about ATTITUDE, not exercise, though that might be a side benefit.
Showing posts with label essays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label essays. Show all posts

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Day 18: Learning from others

Rock cairns on Peak's Island, Maine

A curated list of five stories/articles that teach a lesson. What you learn is up to you:

Winter Solstice Reminds a Hopi Artist of the Cycle of Life
Question for you: What would you do if this happened to you?

The Science of Sarcasm? Yeah, Right
Question for you: How often--and with whom--do you use sarcasm?

The Unemployed Elderly
Question for you: Did you think the essayist was going to offer George a job? 

What Wasn't Passed On
Question for you: How would you feel if you found out at your father's funeral that you'd been disinherited?

Balancing Rocks
Question for you: Have you ever asked too many questions, so many that it removed the mystery that led you to ask the questions in the first place?

Friday, November 25, 2011

More survivors of abuse speak out

What is it about this Penn State sex abuse case that has touched a nerve with so many survivors? It's not the first such case ever to be reported. It's not the largest? Whatever it is, we are telling our stories. This case has opened a door to allow some kind of relief to be expressed, the tears to flow, and the truth to be revealed. These stories continue to show the world that childhood abuse is far more rampant and far more hidden than anyone wants to believe.

Here are more survivor stories. If you would, please pass them on:

_Goldie Taylor, an Atlanta-based writer, finds the courage to tell her story for CNN.

_In his own memoir, Transparent, Don Lemon, a weekend CNN anchor, tells of his own childhood rape, and for CNN, questions why the young boy in the Penn State locker room wasn't saved at that very moment the witness saw the rape occur. Would the witness have saved the child if he had been a girl? Lemon reminds us that gender doesn't matter. Rape is rape, and we need to open our eyes.

_Robin Quivers from "The Howard Stern Show" tells of her abuse story. The victimizer was her father. Not atypical, in case you were wondering...

_A champion gymnast, Jennifer Sey, retells the story about how her coach got away with sexual abuse (not aimed at her) and why winning trumps everything else when it comes to sports.

_QuinnCreative responds to my Ms. Magazine story with a story of her own. Hers was one of the first stories I read after mine was posted that reminded me words have a healing power we won't even know about until they are read or heard. Let the healing begin!

_Kelly Salasin, who found her way to my story also, was inspired to share something that happened to her one summer--after reading the next story linked below. What do you think, moms? Share this one with your high school daughters?

_Eve Ensler spews her anger over the mere idea of rape. She says she over it. But can we be? Really? Read her essay to see what she really means.






Friday, November 18, 2011

A curated list of Penn State essays

After yesterday's post, I decided to compile a list of other essays and commentaries that have been written about the Penn State story. They are eye-opening and may help you to understand more fully the full effects of childhood abuse and why it can happen. The essays are listed in no particular order, but if any of them stir up any emotion or ideas of your own to write about, please pass on the links. It's time to say no to "Jerry":

_A young man and former Penn State graduate shares his thoughts about his loss of faith in the community where he grew up. Find out why he considers himself lucky.

_Charles P. Pierce writes about what really matters from this story, not that Penn State could lose football, God forbid, but that children were raped. It's the brutal truth.

_A commentary in which Mark Madden questions who knew what and when. Haven't we all? 

_David Brooks explains what research says about why we may not intervene when we see a crime, such as sexual abuse, occur, or why we look the other way.

_A trauma therapist speaks out on what you can do to help.

JUST ADDED
_A male sex abuse victim speaks out, telling us the abusers are not monsters. Calling them that, let's the rest of us off the hook. We're looking for monsters when abusers can be your family member or friend.