I still cannot believe this story, and how fortunate I was to get to hear from this amazing woman. I went to a fireside (think of a Ted Talk, Mormon style) the other night and listened in rapt amazement for approximately 1.5 hours while this story feel from her lips. It was astonishing. Her name is Kitty de Ruyter-Bons and she was a Dutch citizen born in Indonesia. She was about 8 when her family was put on house arrest and soon thereafter put in a Japanese Concentration Camp. She's written a book about it, if you read only one book for leisure in the next year, please read this. It will blow your mind with story after story of courage, integrity, and her incredible mother. I was deeply moved and have since read her book. Here's another interview she did, and here is her book below.
interview:
http://www.mormonchannel.org/conversations/12
book:
http://www.amazon.com/As-I-Have-Loved-You/dp/1591560659
Tuesday, April 09, 2013
Talk on Domestic Abuse
Tonight we had a speaker come to our church and talk to us about domestic violence. (We had a good turnout too, and it was an honor to be there.) She's a licensed therapist and the director of a local abuse center, or I should say the local abuse shelter. There is only one entity, at least in the Salt Lake City Valley, or from some refinery north down to 'point of the mountain'. It's a non-profit, and they only have 2 homes. Of those two homes, only 200 beds to accomodate about 276 people. Most of which are children. Pause and consider that for a moment!
She gave us some disturbing statistics. 1 in 4 women in Utah are abused, whether emotionally, physically or sexually. 1 in 9 men are as well. Also, they turn away about 70 people a week or a month (I can't remember which but does it matter?) I found that shocking.
My biggest takeaway from this experience was when she asked us WHY we thought people endured the abuse. She pointed out that often times we think things like 'Oh, they must like it', or any number of reasons that are crap. She then asked for a volunteer. A sweet girl I know came forward goodnaturedly. She asked her to hold this bottle in her hand. As she went to hand it to her, and as the girl reached out to take it, she pulled back right at the last second. She asked her again, in a slightly different, more pleading way. The girl reached out again, and again, she pulled back at the last second. She did this several MORE times before stopping, with the same outcomes. And that was our answer. Why did the girl keep responding to her request, keep reaching out her hand?
She gave us some disturbing statistics. 1 in 4 women in Utah are abused, whether emotionally, physically or sexually. 1 in 9 men are as well. Also, they turn away about 70 people a week or a month (I can't remember which but does it matter?) I found that shocking.
My biggest takeaway from this experience was when she asked us WHY we thought people endured the abuse. She pointed out that often times we think things like 'Oh, they must like it', or any number of reasons that are crap. She then asked for a volunteer. A sweet girl I know came forward goodnaturedly. She asked her to hold this bottle in her hand. As she went to hand it to her, and as the girl reached out to take it, she pulled back right at the last second. She asked her again, in a slightly different, more pleading way. The girl reached out again, and again, she pulled back at the last second. She did this several MORE times before stopping, with the same outcomes. And that was our answer. Why did the girl keep responding to her request, keep reaching out her hand?
Thursday, February 07, 2013
Wow. Uh, it's been awhile since my last post. I need to suck less, hahaha! A lot has happened in the last year. Sheesh! K, here's a quick summary to bring anyone who cares up to speed: I no longer live in Florida. Yep, moved just a few months ago to Salt Lake City. Primarily for a new great job, and for lots of other reasons. Like being much closer to my fam, an actual, wait for it, POTENTIAL dating pool, unlike where I was, and for mountains.
Yes, how I've missed snowboarding. And hiking. And just having a view.
Oh, yeah...and....dating. Ah-hem, yes, dating...? ;) Whatever.
Anyway, so here's some more: I graduated in December of 2011 with a second masters degree. This time in Instructional Systems and Technology from Florida State University. Of course, I totally loved my program/instruction and thrilled to find the right career path. And EXTRA thrilled to land a job 2 weeks before graduation. Yes! Can you believe it? I still can't. Hahaha. So that was obviously awesome.
I worked for a small consulting firm that mostly bid on military contracts. I was/am an 'instructional designer' and I primarily worked on analysis of various forms of military training. Essentially, we studied their basis for instruction and curriculum, their needs, and made recommendations based on the data for how to improve courses. The thing I wasn't too keen on was that I worked from home 95% of the time, and so that took the fun out of working really since I didn't get to interact with people at my favorite level and didn't get to learn as much as I would have on a team.
Anyway. The other big no-likey about the job was really how volatile the company was. Too small, and too much crazy. After a few un-fun scenarios, I had had enough. his last one was the kicker: With about 2 weeks notice, they asked me to move to Jacksonville (3 hours away) and work with a partner company. I'd be 'temporarily relocated' for at least 6 months. I had just moved into a new apartment, which they knew about, just 3 months prior, but I was more than willing to go. Which I expressed to them and SUPER-SPEED QUICKLY got my affairs in order so that this could happen. Things like sub-letting my apartment. Paying that fee. Selling off my furniture, you know. And, drumroll, 3 days before I was to move, they changed their minds. Yep. I could hardly believe it. Still can't. No apology, a limp explanation, and no refund. Whatever.
Yes, so obviously, this was completely wild. There I was, homeless, in 3 days. Nice.
Anyway. Things worked out. They ESPECIALLY worked out. I found a new place, yeah still in Florida, moved, and immediately started looking for a new job. In Salt Lake City.
Which I eventually found. Though I had to quit the previous job, without actually having a job, and move across country. But it was right and I knew things would work out.
And that, my friends, happened just a few months ago. It's amusing that I'm here, a place I often protested I would never live! lol. It's another crazy and fun story, and I love it! All I can say, is I'm ever so grateful for prayer and fasting and the Lord. There's just no substitute for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Yes, how I've missed snowboarding. And hiking. And just having a view.
Oh, yeah...and....dating. Ah-hem, yes, dating...? ;) Whatever.
Anyway, so here's some more: I graduated in December of 2011 with a second masters degree. This time in Instructional Systems and Technology from Florida State University. Of course, I totally loved my program/instruction and thrilled to find the right career path. And EXTRA thrilled to land a job 2 weeks before graduation. Yes! Can you believe it? I still can't. Hahaha. So that was obviously awesome.
I worked for a small consulting firm that mostly bid on military contracts. I was/am an 'instructional designer' and I primarily worked on analysis of various forms of military training. Essentially, we studied their basis for instruction and curriculum, their needs, and made recommendations based on the data for how to improve courses. The thing I wasn't too keen on was that I worked from home 95% of the time, and so that took the fun out of working really since I didn't get to interact with people at my favorite level and didn't get to learn as much as I would have on a team.
Anyway. The other big no-likey about the job was really how volatile the company was. Too small, and too much crazy. After a few un-fun scenarios, I had had enough. his last one was the kicker: With about 2 weeks notice, they asked me to move to Jacksonville (3 hours away) and work with a partner company. I'd be 'temporarily relocated' for at least 6 months. I had just moved into a new apartment, which they knew about, just 3 months prior, but I was more than willing to go. Which I expressed to them and SUPER-SPEED QUICKLY got my affairs in order so that this could happen. Things like sub-letting my apartment. Paying that fee. Selling off my furniture, you know. And, drumroll, 3 days before I was to move, they changed their minds. Yep. I could hardly believe it. Still can't. No apology, a limp explanation, and no refund. Whatever.
Yes, so obviously, this was completely wild. There I was, homeless, in 3 days. Nice.
Anyway. Things worked out. They ESPECIALLY worked out. I found a new place, yeah still in Florida, moved, and immediately started looking for a new job. In Salt Lake City.
Which I eventually found. Though I had to quit the previous job, without actually having a job, and move across country. But it was right and I knew things would work out.
And that, my friends, happened just a few months ago. It's amusing that I'm here, a place I often protested I would never live! lol. It's another crazy and fun story, and I love it! All I can say, is I'm ever so grateful for prayer and fasting and the Lord. There's just no substitute for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
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