my morning routine is almost always the same.
my alarm goes off. i snooze it twice. then, i grudgingly prop myself up and begin my day by watching cookie decorating videos and seeing what my people (and their dogs) are up to on facebook and instagram. i'm not saying it's the best way to start the day, but it works for me. today, i was disheartened as i scrolled through the posts of multiple friends, male and female, who have been victims of sexual assault or harassment. i was shocked by the astounding number of friends who had showcased the message "me too," after actress melissa milano made a public call for victims of sexual abuse to come forward in solidarity with one another. there were so many "me too" statuses. women i know from church. women i know from my hometown. women i've known for years and years. women i've only met recently. mistreated. violated. hurt. silenced. i cried for them this morning. i wept for their pain. i wept for the way they have been harmed. and i wept because, in a small way, i know how they feel. i know what it's like to be groped and told that i was "asking for it." i know what it feels like to be judged for the size of my breasts instead of the content of my character. i know what it feels like to be walked home by a man and then told that he needs "payment" for his services. i know what it's like to be oggled and sexualized and told that i should "take it as a compliment." i know what it's like to be diminished and minimized by men who think that women exist for the sole purpose of serving and pleasing. i have NOT been raped, thank god. but i know too many women who have. and it makes me sick. and it makes me mad. it makes me so freaking mad. in my classroom, i teach my students to be respectful and kind. i teach them to show compassion and be truthful. i teach them to keep their hands to themselves. i teach them to take responsibility for their actions. i teach them to take care of each other. i can't tell you how my boys will view women in the future, but i can tell you that for now, they view women as equals. they see their female classmates as friends and peers. i don't know how to fully tackle this despicable epidemic we have in our world of mistreating women. but i can tell you that for me, in my classroom, i will continue to teach my children about equality. i will do my best to help each and every one of my students understand the dignity and value of all human lives. i will teach my kids that equal work demands equal compensation. i will teach my kids respect. and i swear, "boys will be boys" will never be an acceptable excuse for male behavior in my classroom. this is my solemn promise. me too, ld
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