Today I’d like to introduce Dawn Sticklen, from Since You Asked…. Dawn lives in Joplin, Missouri and she writes about family life both in her local community and around the globe. Her blog offers ideas for contributing to the overall quality of life and wellness of your community. Dawn and I have been talking about a major issue that, sadly enough, affects each and every one of our communities: sexual abuse. Recently, I wrote about the Code of Silence that [...]
For the first of this week’s Friday Photos, I offer a few words on anger. I wrote this after the Penn State sanctions came down and I felt burned by my anger. So I stopped, and waited and thought about it. Anger solves nothing, unless it is harnessed for good. And if it is not harnessed in the service of good, it can destroy the better parts in us. I wrote this second poster up when I was feeling like [...]
Good morning friends!! I am starting a new thing here and I’m really excited about it. I run a page on Facebook called Running from Hell with El and it is my flagship, my baby. It’s where all of this (gesturing) started. I also help run another page called Rebel Thriver, which is dedicated to helping survivors of abuse thrive. For these Facebook pages, I create a lot of posters and pictures that include my original writing. From now on, [...]
I’ve followed the Jerry Sandusky case with a bit of self-protective distance until yesterday. Revelation after revelation exposed both horrific child abuse and an even worse phenomenon: a Code of Silence that protected a football program while it sacrificed the safety and welfare of young men. Not only did the football coach I’d so admired uphold the Code: so did the athletic director and the Penn State University president. For my entire life, my identity has consisted of two [...]