Last evening, for the second time in a month, I had the extreme honor of speaking to an amazing group of people. I was invited back after my first offer to speak and share my story was a successful experience and more importantly, helpful.
The people attending the meeting consisted of adult women and men of diverse ages, backgrounds and experiences. The common bond connecting everyone in the room? Survival.
These brave people meet regularly to discuss their struggles with domestic abuse. Both physical and mental. The group is an advanced one, people who have made the decision to escape their abusers and bravely stand on their own. However, leaving the abuser behind does not always equate to leaving the abuse behind.
There is strength in numbers and finding empathy, care, humility and understanding amongst each other truly touched my heart. Being asked to speak to these amazing people was wonderful, terrifying, exhilarating, humbling and beautiful. I am not a professional. I am not a registered therapist. I am, however, someone who wants to help people and do something that could maybe make the world a kinder, more understanding place.
Sharing my story and ultimate triumph meant so much to my audience. I could see it in their eyes. It is not easy to talk about bad memories, horrible memories of times when you felt alone, scared and hopeless. As I spoke about the healing process and my battle to come through the other side strong and proud, I managed to remind myself of how far I had come to stand in that room last evening. I am not embarrassed to say that I am DAMN proud of myself. I am not one to have an inflated sense of self but for this, I am proud of who I am.
I am not alone in saying that I’m a lucky man. I have people who love me and who have always supported me. I am extremely lucky. My message mainly consisted of positive reinforcement that even if you are alone, without the comfort of friends and family, there is still hope.
I detailed my thoughts and fears as I found the right path for me. I hope that if I achieved anything on these two nights of sharing my story, I hope that I cast some light on someone’s silent torment. I hope that I was able to touch just one person and give them a moment of peace. Just one person. It is easy to look away from those in need. It is the right thing to try and help.
As I write this my heart and mind are spinning with positive thoughts. Fragmented perhaps, incomplete maybe but it is my best I can do now. And that is enough for me.
Chester County, Pa
Agent Argyle 