Me too... but never again

When I was 17 I worked at an upscale jewelry store. One of the owners would call me his meat and potatoes girl as he rubbed himself against me. At a department store I bent over to grab something and my manager grabbed my hips and mimed having sex with me. I was a waitress and the person who controlled when I worked, where I worked, and therefore my income would slide up against me and sprinkle salt on me saying he never ate anything without salt. These things happened in front of other people they would all laugh and I would laugh too inside feeling small and ashamed and helpless, and like if I didn't play along that my coworkers would think I was a prude, that my boss wouldn't schedule me or I would lose my job and I wouldn't have money to pay the rent and lose my insurance.

I cringe as I look back at these things. That I let these people do this to me. What I remember is the fear, the shame, feeling alone and helpless. I wish I had been stronger that I had the courage to stand up against it at that time.

These women that have come out in Hollywood have courage and strength to come forward. Sometimes it takes the strength of another to lift that veil of shame and allow others to stand up and say this happened to me too and it is not/was not ok.

There are many people out there who have had a person in a position of power abuse that power. It is time to recognize how pervasive a problem this is. It is time to realize we are not the ones who should feel shame... For those that this has happened to it is time to stand up and say ME TOO... BUT NEVER AGAIN!!