There comes a time when you have to use your voice

I'm gonna get real and raw here for a minute.

This is a personal post - extremely personal. But i had to share this story with you because it might save others and encourage you to use your voice too.

As an author, I am technically a public figure. Although, you have to be aware of what you post and how it makes you look - your reputation. You have a platform, a public platform to share your voice with your followers / subscribers / readers. But there comes a time when you are given a chance to use that platform for good.
I hope that by sharing my story, what happened to me this week, that it will not only be cathartic for me, but I'm hoping my help those in a similar situation.

On Tuesday night I received some really inappropriate messages from a now former employer. Someone in a position of authority.
Those messages shook me, rattled me to the core.
Now, i have had similar words thrown at me before on the bus by drunk men.
This was different.
This was by someone i was supposed to trust.

You have no idea how broken and hurt and betrayed I felt. And also gross and angry too.

On Wednesday I pulled myself out of bed and walked down to the beach with Heidi my dog. I then found myself walking towards the police station.

Now, some of you will know that I've suffered recently with mental illness - depression, anxiety as well as an intellectual disability. As if life wasn't hard enough!
Anyway, Heidi and I went to the police station and asked to talk to a female police officer. In these delicate, personal times a woman just needs to talk to another woman.
So, I did.

The police woman was amazing. she was supportive and really listened to me.
Then she gave Heidi and I a ride home in her police car. My pup loved that. and all the attention from the officers haha.
Now i can't tell you how much I appreciate police now. They are angels.
She even asked me how i was doing mentally when she found out my medical history. I said i have been doing good, until Tuesday.

Part of the reason for sharing my story, as i mentioned above, is not only to get it off my chest, as a form of therapy for me, but because i hope, in that sharing my personal, raw, vulnerable moment, that i will encourage others to speak up.

Sexual harassment is a very real, very scary situation to go through. and most times it is those whom we put our trust in the most doing it.

Now, i have since quit this job and am taking it one day at a time. I'm lucky i have my friends and family and my other job. Everyone has been so so supportive.

I am still dealing with the repercussions of this event. But i will not keep quiet. I will NOT be compliant. I will not sweep this under the rug.

If you experience sexual harassment or abuse or any kind, please don't stay quiet. Speak up. Use the voice you were given.