Epiphany
A few weeks ago I had an epiphany while listening to a YouTube video regarding a group of young women in Atlanta who were being held against their will in a house by a man who was threatening them and/or possibly forcing them into the sex slave industry (I would say business, but to me that should never be a business).
The epiphany came when I started analyzing the situation by asking a series of questions:
1.) How did this happen?
2.) What exactly did this guy say to them to get them to willingly go with him?
3.) Why did they feel as though stripping is the only way to earn a living?
4.) How could they allow themselves to be so easily manipulated into such a situation?
5.) Did they not see the value in their own lives?
6.) What was their situation like at home, that would cause them to believe that this is the route to take in order to earn a living?
7.) What type of upbringing did these girls have?
8.) Did they come from a One or Two-Parent home?
9.) What was their relationship like with their fathers?
10.) Did their fathers tell them on a regular basis how beautiful and special they are?
Here is the link to the News clip of the story from which my "epiphany" came from:
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/north-fulton-county/man-accused-of-holding-8-women-captive-faces-more-than-a-dozen-felony-charges/501468575
Now wait a minute...before you start looking at me with the side-eye...I did not ask these questions with the intent of being judgmental. I literally internalized all of these questions, because I truly believe that who we are as adults, has a lot to do with who we were as kids. It has a lot to do with how we were raised, what we saw as kids, and what we were taught (or not taught). Believe it or not, our childhood environment plays a huge role in our adulthood.
With that being said, my analytical mind went a little further by playing back times when I could remember seeing precious little girls playing outside in various neighborhoods that I have either lived in or visited. There were times when I would see these little girls outside playing, but their hair would be uncombed and/or their clothes would be either too big or just looking a mess...only to see their mothers walk out of the house dressed to impress from head to toe. That has always been a pet peeve of mine! How does a woman neglect her child like this? If anything, as a parent, as a mother, you should be going without before you allow your child to step foot outside looking a hot mess!
******Here's something I don't think many women are aware of: Your child/children are a direct reflection of you!*******
The overall point of this blog post (my epiphany) is not to bash mothers, but to shed some light on certain situations, to hopefully bring awareness to an issue, and to help others to start thinking more critically about behavior and the mindset of how certain lifestyles came to be. I want my overall message to be very clear, as this post and many more to come will be about identifying issues and providing solutions. I want young people to know and understand their worth and value, to know that they are indeed priceless; even if they are never told this at home...they need to learn it, hear it, and see it.
I have said time and time again: The first step towards any form of recovery is...ADMISSION! One must first ADMIT that there is an issue or problem before a solution can be obtained.
The best way to admit an issue is to self-analyze and confront our own issues on a daily basis.
So, let's get to analyzing and confronting, regardless of how painful or ugly the issue may be!
The epiphany came when I started analyzing the situation by asking a series of questions:
1.) How did this happen?
2.) What exactly did this guy say to them to get them to willingly go with him?
3.) Why did they feel as though stripping is the only way to earn a living?
4.) How could they allow themselves to be so easily manipulated into such a situation?
5.) Did they not see the value in their own lives?
6.) What was their situation like at home, that would cause them to believe that this is the route to take in order to earn a living?
7.) What type of upbringing did these girls have?
8.) Did they come from a One or Two-Parent home?
9.) What was their relationship like with their fathers?
10.) Did their fathers tell them on a regular basis how beautiful and special they are?
Here is the link to the News clip of the story from which my "epiphany" came from:
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/north-fulton-county/man-accused-of-holding-8-women-captive-faces-more-than-a-dozen-felony-charges/501468575
Now wait a minute...before you start looking at me with the side-eye...I did not ask these questions with the intent of being judgmental. I literally internalized all of these questions, because I truly believe that who we are as adults, has a lot to do with who we were as kids. It has a lot to do with how we were raised, what we saw as kids, and what we were taught (or not taught). Believe it or not, our childhood environment plays a huge role in our adulthood.
With that being said, my analytical mind went a little further by playing back times when I could remember seeing precious little girls playing outside in various neighborhoods that I have either lived in or visited. There were times when I would see these little girls outside playing, but their hair would be uncombed and/or their clothes would be either too big or just looking a mess...only to see their mothers walk out of the house dressed to impress from head to toe. That has always been a pet peeve of mine! How does a woman neglect her child like this? If anything, as a parent, as a mother, you should be going without before you allow your child to step foot outside looking a hot mess!
******Here's something I don't think many women are aware of: Your child/children are a direct reflection of you!*******
The overall point of this blog post (my epiphany) is not to bash mothers, but to shed some light on certain situations, to hopefully bring awareness to an issue, and to help others to start thinking more critically about behavior and the mindset of how certain lifestyles came to be. I want my overall message to be very clear, as this post and many more to come will be about identifying issues and providing solutions. I want young people to know and understand their worth and value, to know that they are indeed priceless; even if they are never told this at home...they need to learn it, hear it, and see it.
I have said time and time again: The first step towards any form of recovery is...ADMISSION! One must first ADMIT that there is an issue or problem before a solution can be obtained.
The best way to admit an issue is to self-analyze and confront our own issues on a daily basis.
So, let's get to analyzing and confronting, regardless of how painful or ugly the issue may be!
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