Bare Naked Bravery and the Action Behind the Picture.

Bare Naked Bravery Podcast 028

I am so grateful to announce that my Bare Naked Bravery Podcast interview is now available for your listening pleasure!  Gracious host Emily Ann Peterson really made the experience powerful for me.  You can listen to the interview on iTunes, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, or GooglePlay:  

 http://emilyannpeterson.com/episode/028-child-rape-recovering-safety-speaking-truth-with-marie-schaeller

The episode is #28 and the other episodes are great to listen to as well. Some of my favorites are #13, 8, 10, 24, and 2!  Running with wolves, losing sight, empathy, the power of breath, and immigrating to America are just some of the topics covered.  The brave takeaways are inspiring.

Some of the topics covered in my interview are:  

  • some details of my story which happened when I was 3 at day care,
  • difficulties a survivor deals with after the crime (like guilt, fear, etc.),
  • living near the man that raped me and wasn't charged,
  • and the power of coming forward and trying to make a difference by changing the statute of limitations now so other children do not know what this feels like.

There is a trigger warning for this episode, especially for victims and survivors dealing with flashbacks.  If you listen, I hope you can gain a little courage and feel less like you are the only one going through this.  For others listening, I hope you gain some insight on how far this type of crime reverberates and impacts a life-- especially when it happens as a child is still developing.  

The picture below was taken the month before I was raped at a day care in the small town I grew up in.  When I share my story with someone, they see me as an adult right now.  They forget the simple fact that I was 3.  I didn't have a word for rape.  I didn't have a word for the act he committed.  I didn't understand why he was hurting me.  The fear was crippling.

Action Behind the Picture

The cover photo of Bare Naked Bravery Episode is of my palm with the word enough written on it. If you are interested in joining the conversation and saying enough is enough with child sexual abuse: grab a marker, write ENOUGH on your palm, and post on social media.  Use #BareNakedBravery if you can.  

Visit www.enoughabuse.org and sign up for their '10 Conversations' email series;  find out more on their campaign, training, and workshops.

Please share the podcast (or this post) with anyone you may know that may need it.