Peace, be still ( a message from a woman who talked about her abuse & outed her abuser)

[Are_grits_groceries]

It been a tough week, for obvious reasons, and it seems I’ve exchanged one weight for another. I will never forget what happened to me 26 years ago and, likewise, I will never forget your outpouring of support. I never wanted to be called a “victim”. I made choices as a young person that will haunt me all of my living days.

But there is a certain sadness in hearing all of the stories of unspoken abuse that continue to pour into my email account and across social networks. It seems there is no safe harbor.

My abuser has been fired by the school district he worked for. It was never my aim to bring harm to the students I’ve never met. But at the end of the day, I could not be certain that the abuse had ended. I will carry the guilt of not coming forward sooner for a very long time.

My heart is heavy today. I have not left the house or eaten. I’m still looking for “home”, in search of peace.

So if this message finds you in a place where you felt you did not have the courage to speak up, I add my voice to yours. See something, say something. Do something.

My decision to “out” my abuser did not come easy. Hindsight is 20/20. Maybe there was another way. I took the only path I knew.

And so, I am alone with myself… Negotiating rough waters. But I stand by this: Speak truth even if your voice shakes.

I am shaking now, opening a new chapter of unknowns, sure that I did the right thing. My faith sustains me. It is the only help I know.

Today, as I pray for the victims of sexual abuse, I need you to pray for me.

Peace, be still.

-Goldie
http://goldietaylor.com/truthmatters/2011/11/16/peace-be-still/

Her original post on outing her abuser: "Naming Him"
http://goldietaylor.com/truthmatters/2011/11/13/naming-him/


I don't think some people will ever understand or believe the damage abuse does and can continue to do. I have read some stories from people who were abused and almost all of them talked about what a hard week it was.
The shadow knows...and the shadow's always there.

[maddezmom]

1. watched her on Lawrence the other night and added her to my twitter feed

K&R

[renate]

2. that was fast

Wasn't it just a few days ago that she said on Lawrence's show that she was going to go back to her hometown to do something about this guy?

Here's an article about him-apparently he wasn't so much fired as not rehired:

At the Clayton School District, news of what Taylor had to say and the realization that Sullivan had been coaching track and cross country there for the past two years, for boys and girls, led to some swift action, said spokesman Chris Tennill.

He said that Sullivan's part-time, temporary assignment for the fall sports season had ended and he would not be coming back to work at Clayton. He said Sullivan had never been employed as a teacher in the district, and the background check he went through indicated no problems.

"We have had no complaints or concerns about his work or his behavior since he has been here," Tennill said. "When he was hired, he went through the same fingerprinting, FBI and DFS (Division of Family Services) background checks that every one of our employees goes through, and everything came back fine."

http://www.stlouisbeacon.com/issues-politics/95-Education/114242-former-cheerleader-says-coach-sexually-assaulted-her-in-1984

[Spazito]

3. Excellent OP....

Thank you for posting it.

Recommend.

[Blue_Tires]

4. There was also a good piece about the Red Sox covering up for a molester

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/15/donald-fitzpatrick-red-sox-sex-scandal_n_1095118.html

[Sherman A1]

5. Wow

I grew up in the Normandy School District. I attended Catholic school, but used to drive right past Normandy High on my way to my High School. There were many years difference, but this is one of the wow moments.....

[yellerpup]

6. Telling is the first step to recovery.

Never be afraid to tell the truth.