Reaction to the interview on WGLT has been powerful. Thanks to Eric Stock for seeking depth in the process with his thoughtful questions. Here is the story and audio interview. I appreciate the stories shared, support offered, and groundswell behind this idea of taking the word sex out of the names of these charges.
You never get over being raped. You work through it. You figure out how to be – in a new way – after being raped, but it sticks with you. It never actually goes away. I’ve worked through the trauma over the years. I’m in a very healthy place. I’ve untangled the confusion, sadness, frustration, anger, and disillusionment that came with it. I’ve worked on the fear, but there’s still fear there for me in certain situations. My awareness of safety is high. I’m a mellow person, by nature and rape reduced that some. I’m grateful for the #MeToo movement. It’s collecting voices of so many people and amplifying the awareness. It’s offering validation that’s been sorely needed. It’s offering a forum that makes it possible to be heard and taken seriously. In my book, I talk about having been sexually harassed in college...
Look for an interview on the NPR station WGLT – 89.1 FM tomorrow (2/8/19) during Sound Ideas. Eric Stock talks with me about my book, 9 Word Rethink To Get On With Life. Thanks to Eric for reading it and asking such thoughtful questions. I don’t have exact air times, but I’ll share a link when I have one. Two quick thoughts for the day: A couple of friends and I talked over coffee (for me it’s always ice tea – don’t like coffee – wish I did – but I digress…) this week each talked about overcoming fear – not sure how to do it – actually worrying – maybe boiling down to fear of failure. My first thought is this: When you worry, you bet against yourself. If you’ve reached a point in your life you feel you don’t have the guts to try something new, in part, because of all you’ve built behind you...
I’ve wanted to talk about this topic, but have found it difficult to do. It’s weighty, for one. For another – this is stark startling subject matter. It’s hardly something you bring up out of the blue. It also bugs people for all kinds of reasons. I understand that as people share stories with me. Maybe they were too close to this at one point, went through it, found themselves not standing up for someone in a moment they now wish they had…maybe they question their own past behavior – a difficult reveal even to yourself I’m sure for those who turn the light on that. The title of this post is simple – easy to grasp, explain, and understand – but… still a big idea requiring shifts in thinking and legal verbiage. One specific goal I have for this book is to get the ball rolling in more people seeing the value in removing the word...
I’ve been at a loss for words the last few days. Monday I gave a talk about my book at the Leadership Illinois Conference. I was coming off of a very busy weekend having flown back to the midwest from southern California the afternoon before. Plus, shortly after the speech I was informed the new Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker had requested my workplace participate in a news conference the next morning in preparation for rock bottom temperatures related to this 2019 ultra freeze snap. It was a request that directly involved me. In the middle of it, I’ve been processing the realization I’m deeply impacted by the way I was embraced at the Leadership Illinois Conference after my hour long talk. I was invited to speak about my book, 9 Word Rethink To Get On With Life. When my talk was over, my best hope was that I would leave people with the belief that we are all in this...
A few dozen people have made it a point to ask me directly about book signings, celebrating having finished this project, and potential speaking engagements. Some puzzle pieces are coming together and wanted to share an update on this passion project. SCHEDULE TO DATE – Book progress for my project: 9 Word Rethink To Get On With Life: January 28th, Monday, 10:30a: Leadership Illinois Alum Conference Event Speaker. In February, listen for my interview on WGLT (89.1 NPR) Sound Ideas. March 14th, Thursday, 6p: American Business Women’s Association Chapter Recognition Dinner Event Speaker. BOOK SIGNING EVENT – April 7th, Sunday, 2p – Bloomington, IL – This is a special book signing with long-time friend Kathryn Foster – author of her own book about one of her passions – clean water. Here is the link to her blog. We are CHANGING THIS LOCATION from...
6th of 6 parts Trust is a tough thing. If we can’t trust our own truth, why would we be able to trust the truth of someone else? Walking through life in a way that hopefully helps someone who could use a friend or could stand to borrow a new perspective for a while on the way to their own growth is a fine kind of existence. I’m centered and don’t know what someone could say that could derail that. This is an important idea to share with those considering putting their personal perspective out there. When you know who you are, do you need those who reveal they can’t support you? Wouldn’t the support they’d give you – in the illusion of sameness you might have shared – have been disingenuous before you shared your truth? I don’t know…might seem simplistic. But, I choose to see these kinds of moments of awareness as gifts. They...
5th of 6 parts I’ve been asked a few times if this process of writing a book has been therapeutic. I want to continue this thought process to help others considering sharing their writing – as I’m guessing looking at ourselves is one of the hardest parts of being willing to write about our experiences. As for being therapeutic… I’d say cathartic instead. It was a release of several awareness I’ve lived with from my personal experiences mixed with vast learning over the years. Sharing personal stories has been fascinatingly helpful to me in a way I didn’t expect. That’s, in part, because my initial focus for getting this book done was first and foremost – being tired of dragging around a plan from decades ago to write my damn book. It’s good to use my voice. My primary desire is wanting to share a smidge of what I’ve...