walk a mile...

I have what some may call irrational fears.

I have a lot of them but the biggest and most deep seated fear I have I am aware of on a daily basis.

walking to the train at night, getting into my car at night, waiting in my car at a stop light.  hanging out with men I don't know very well, being alone with men I do know fairly well. I live with the rape crisis hotline programmed into my phone... just in case.

I am reminded all of the time.  I am on the offense to not get raped or assulted.

and with statistics like: Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.

 According to the U.S. Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey -- the country's largest and most reliable crime study -- there were 248,300 sexual assaults in 2007 (the most recent data available).

There are 525,600 minutes in a non-leap year. That makes 31,536,000 seconds/year. so that comes out to 1 sexual assault every 127 seconds, or about 1 every 2 minutes.

that seems like the odds are not in my favor for avoiding it. and  60% of rape or sexual assult cases go unreported so the number is actually a lot more.

that seems like a pandemic problem.

and yet it remains largely a silent problem.

as a women, being afraid of walking to the train is a survival skill.

Last night I was at a stop light under a bridge and a car full of men pulled up next to me and began to make gestures at me. rolling down their window. trying to intimidate me.

I locked my doors.

I looked forward eyes on the light.

I began to feel my heart racing and my skin crawling.

it was the longest light of my life.

and its situations like that, that make me aware that my body is a liability.
and this is not the first time I have felt afraid and It most certainly wont be the last.

a few weeks ago Erin and I shot "walk a mile in her shoes" which is a walk to raise awareness for sexual assault.  I was waiting to do an interview that never happened with one of the walkers before I posted it, but decided to post it still incomplete.

My dad was also one of the walkers and I am really proud of him, I am so thankful for him and for other men who will stand and fight for women.  who understand that there is a dramatic and overwhelming problem when we live in a culture where the responsibility to not get raped falls on women and not on men to not rape .

if you have any questions about volunteering, walking a mile, or  just need some support call

the guardian angel home

815.729. 0930.

http://www.guardianangelhome.org/

to talk to a rape crisis advocate or just to save it in your phone in case you need to know your rights call:

1888.293.2080