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SURVIVOR'S
STORIES From: Margaret
T. Sherman, Needles Business and Professional Women I have my own story, as a rape survivor, which after 40 years and much prayer and thought-- I'll share with the world. My parents went to their grave without my being able to talk with them or to why at the age of 30, after a life time of wanting to be a woman lawyer and being one, and having my own prosperous law office with many friends in town as my clients, I closed - not sold - my office and left town. I was followed in my trip with "voices" I was to hear until recently. I was brought back to Cincinnati, Ohio in a private car accompanied by a psychiatrist -- that I was to pay for. This psychiatrist told me that if I'd just gone to bed with the man like other women-- I would not have got raped! The story: I went out on a dinner date with an attorney from the Prosecutor's office in Cincinnati, Ohio, who also had a law practice in the office of a prominent judge. Perfect set up-- he raped me twice and I just went berserk. I changed the counties I worked in and he would follow. TURN HIM IN? I was so upset that I never considered it. I simply quit and left town while I still had some money; however, I never was able to talk about it. A loving Christian man married me and brought me west. We ran a business together for almost 20 years 'til his death. I carried on in the business for another 15 years until I sold it. Now I am a volunteer of 4 years in Human Services. Within this environment, I healed enough that after 40 years I not only can tell this story to all but tell you how I was healed. I forgave the man and turned him over to the God that said vengeance is mine. Slowly I healed. I've learned the hard way to laugh at myself and can end the story of rape & harassment this way. When they took me back to Cincinnati and I got out of a private mental hospital and before I looked for any type of way to exist he asked for another date. I went. Through cocktails and dinner there was no conversation.--I was waiting to hear his story. Nothing came forth and after dinner we were sitting by a fire when he finally talked.-- he still held his law practice and his job in the Prosecutor's office. His conversation.."would you like to go to a motel?" I turned and quietly said -- "please take me home to my parents." My pity goes to the good people of Cincinnati, Ohio and there are many and to that man's mother. We all go through trials. This is how I handled my greatest one. I called and spoke with the man's mother, a caring loving person. Her fault?--I think not! She will only go to her grave carrying the sorrow of her son's behavior. The empowerment of women is also dependent on changing men's attitudes. Education needs to supply boys with new interpretations of masculinity. © Speak Out Terms of use |