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I was born in the
Midwestern United States. First grade brought my first experience
with sexual abuse and when I began to gain weight to an obese state of
existence.
People from my parents and family to kids and teachers at school abused me
emotionally, verbally and physically. Memories of these damaging experiences
remain to this day. My father and mother abused me verbally and my mother
abused
me physically by beating with a rawhide riding crop. She frequently called me
tubby,
fat-so, fatty-r-buckle. I stayed fat for the next 10 years. I moved away from
home as
soon as I got a good job and never looked back. But, the abuse I sustained for
my diversity remains to this day and left scars like indelible ink. They have
been
reflected in every aspect of my adult life.
Maya Angelou
wrote: "We allow our ignorance to prevail upon us and make us think
we can survive alone, alone in patches, alone in groups, alone in races, even
alone in genders".
I pray all kids of future
generations will live free of diversity
related fear, abuse, labels and censorship. |
