I watched Oprah today. I've watched Oprah before, have been entertained before... but was really impressed by her show today... more than any other show of hers I've seen. Her audience was made up of 200 men... just men, with one thing in common... one very big thing in common. They were all sexually abused as children. It was emotional to watch men of all different ages, that I assume were from all over the United States, that were all brave enough to sit in her audience on national TV. They were all men we meet and see every day... our fathers, our brothers, your husbands, our teachers, our bosses... and I'm sure it was incredibly tough for every one of them to sit in that audience!
When I look back at my childhood, I realize how incredibly blessed I am to have grown up with two wonderful parents who truly loved me unselfishly, protected me and simply wanted what was best for me. They both grew up during the great depression... my dad in a one parent home after his dad died when he was 9 months old, and my mom growing up in a less than perfect family with an alcoholic father. But they made a choice... a choice to raise my sister and me the right way. I learned from them and try to raise my children the same way.
I find it so hard to understand how people who are supposed to be protecting children... in many cases their OWN children... can betray them. It's sad... it's disheartening... the sad feeling I had during the show almost got the best of me... I felt myself feeling becoming despondent about life because this show was reminding me of all the wrong in the world. After this feeling started to pass, I realized that I'm glad to have felt this... glad to NOT feel complacency... glad to not just pass this off as "a part of life". I don't know what I can do to help. I guess all I can do is protect my children and show them what a dad is supposed to be. I'll do my best!
Bravo Oprah!
Posts
2 comments:
You were blessed, and lucky! I have to suppose that many of those men had parents who brought them up right, and did their best to protect their children, but were helpless to protect them against the evil that lurks in the world masquerading as good. I don't worry an awful lot about much, but this is something I do worry about for our kids. They are both lucky and blessed to have you as a parent!
Debbie, I agree....especially when the evil lurks behind such nice masks. I watched some of this show on-line and what struck me most was watching men....30, 40 and 50 years old weeping from a wound that happened decades ago.
I often say: "Sexual abuse, like murder, kills children...it just leaves them walking around is all."
Very sad.
Post a Comment