My first thought of was Meghan Trainor and her jam: Me too.
It's a song about a woman who wakes up everyday and is grateful for her life. She loves who she is. I have had this song stuck in my head since Monday. But that is not what those two words reference. "Me too" has been spreading across all forms of social media.
Too many of my female friends have made this as their Facebook status, their Instagram post or tweeted this on Twitter. These two little words are meant to "shock" and bring a reality, give a face to a monster. I am not shocked. I am not surprised at the number of "Me too" posts that have been flooding my social media pages.
Disclaimer: My non-shocked reaction has NOTHING to do with the person who has typed those two words! My non-shocked reaction has everything to do with the fact that this is what happens and no one wants to change anything. I hate to admit this right now but sexual harassment/assault is something that I have seen and heard too often. It has happened so often that I am no longer fazed by it. That is not to say it is not painful to hear, I just hear it too often.Wait... just keep reading.
"Me too" is meant to change something. Isn't that the point of all of it? Typing two words is only the beginning.
If you have been sexually harassed or assaulted, your first step is admitting what happened. No one ever asks to be harassed, molested, abused or assaulted. THERE IS NO SHAME IN WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU! (You see what I did there? I made that statement in all caps because it is a true statement.) Your worth as a human being does not diminish because you have been victimized. If you have had the courage to type those two little words, you have taken a huge step.
Your next step, if you haven't already, is to seek professional help. Once again, there is no shame in what has happened and it is not your fault. We must all be able to heal from our wounds. Help is out there. You can heal and become whole again.
We each have a story to tell. We each have a "Me too" in our lives and we can help each other heal. Our experiences, when we use them as a force for good can make the changes. Simply typing those words or admitting our pains and then doing nothing about it will not stop it from happening to another person. Now that you have typed those words, get involved! If you want to put an end to sexual harassment and sexual assault, if you want to protect future generations from the pain that you have felt- do more than type those two words.
Teach your sons to be gentlemen. Teach your daughters to be strong and find no shame in who they are. Teach your children to respect all persons- no matter their abilities or gender.
Love yourself, be grateful for you life and help others do the same.
... me too.
National Sexual Assault Hotline
Call 1-800-656-4673
https://www.rainn.org/
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233
1-800-787-3224 (TTY for Deaf/hard of hearing)
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