As a child growing up, there were quite a few issues that occurred in my life in which I felt like my voice either went either unheard or numb to the world around me. I grew up in a household with a bully step-father who fought my mom to no end, sometimes those fights ended in bloodshed, I watched as he hit, degraded and shamed her; whether in public, in front of his or her family and most heartbreakingly, in front of me and my two sisters. Where was my voice to speak up? In this case, it was helpless.

“Not one person liked the way Billy treated others, but they’d dare not say anything.” –Excerpt from Billy Wolf & The Kids of Heavenly Hills 

I remember being in school, third grade – the teacher would have us line up behind each other once we got out of the bathroom and had a water break. One of my male classmates in whom would purposely stand behind me every time would touch me inappropriately, he would lean up against me really close, take his hand and dig in my derriere, making his way to touch other parts of me that I didn’t even know was supposed to be touched. This made me feel very uncomfortable and weird. Why was he doing this? Should I say something about it? Would he deny it? Would my voice matter? Where was my voice to speak up? In this case, it was scared.

“Everyone did try their best to make him feel welcome, but it was very evident, Billy didn’t want their friendship or kindness, but their fears instead, in which he seemed to hold tightly in the palm of his hands.” – Excerpt from Billy Wolf & The Kids of Heavenly Hills

For a couple of years, I was sexually molested by my step-father, my mother’s second husband. At first I didn’t know what was going on, he would make my sisters go outside to play when my mother would leave the house and he would come into my room and act as if we were playing a game of hiding and seek, thing is – he would find me every-time and my punishment for getting found? became a reward for him to do what he wanted to do to me. Should I tell my mother? Would she believe me? Would he deny it? Was this supposed to happen? In some sense, was I asking for it and didn’t know it? Where was my voice to speak up? In this case, it was numb.

You did whatever you could just to stay off Billy’s radar – which didn’t seem to help much as he always found a way to make you a part of his internal view. – Excerpt from Billy Wolf & The Kids of Heavenly

In school, I was bullied by kids – I guess you can say I was the weakest link. I had issues going on at home and issues going on at school, I had no friends but a made up imaginary friend named “Jeannine” in whom I confided in and talked too quite a bit. I was always afraid to speak up because I always felt like there would be repercussions for my actions and who would protect me? At the end of the day, It was my word vs. their word. I was hopeless and felt as if they were more powerful and because of that “The Silence” went on for years and years. Until one day – I got the courage to SPEAK UP!

Outside of absolutely being in love with children’s books, this was another reason for me writing the book “Billy Wolf & The Kids of Heavenly Hills Elementary” while the book may seem juvenile, it’s a story of how we as a society can allow one thing or one person take the most powerful thing to ever grace our body away from us and that’s YOUR VOICE! Let me tell you, Bullying takes place every….single….day in our society and our lives, it happens to adults as well as children. It’s not prejudiced as it affects everyone at one time or another. Why should we allow one person to have so much power over us, a power that most likely cripples us for years.

ONE VOICE – CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING!

And make a difference that empowers you and everyone else around you.

Sometimes people are just waiting on someone else to make a BOLD move, by speaking up, you could actually be saving someone else’s life – whom may be too afraid to do so.

Your voice can be the biggest light, in the midst of darkness. 

My hope is that this book will encourage, inspire and motivate kids as well as adults to stand up and use the most powerful tool God gave us and that’s OUR VOICE! 

Let’s take a stand in 2018 and onward to make a difference! Come, join the community at (www.speakup2018@wordpress.com) and together, let’s make an effort to put an end to bullying and a start to SPEAKING UP! #speakup #victimnomore #silencekills 

 

 

Creator of A Blog, A Magazine. It’s JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager