The Day That Changed Me Forever

Hello, my name is Jordan Dale and I am a 21 year old college senior. Life didn't used to be easy, but then one day I decided that I was going to turn my opinion about myself around and point it in the direction of success and growth. I just want to start out by saying that when this situation in my life occurred, I was what you would consider a typical teenager. I was young and naive and thought I was invincible and that nothing would destroy me. I will always remember what happened to me, but now as I have gotten older, instead of letting it suffocate me, I have decided to let it help me grow and change my future. This was a time in my life when I was very insecure about many things and I did not know the difference between right and wrong. Well now as I have grown up, I want to tell my story to help anyone and everyone I can reach to tell them that the sun does rise again and it will get better. I am bigger than my story, so let me put into words what happened.

I was sexually assaulted. Short, sweet, and to the point. It was nothing more than that, it does not define me, it does not help me make my decisions, it is not me. Now there was a time where I thought this situation was the destroyer of the great future I once had planned for myself. I told myself that I would never be the same and that it had ruined everything I had been working for. Now let me remind you, I was 13. I still had and currently have a lot of time ahead of me to let other life moments define me. Yes, what happened sucked and it was a horrible time in my life, but just because it is something major that happened in my life, doesn't me that it has to decide who I am or what I choose to do with my life. I was at the time in my life where I was very vulnerable to the boys around me because I wanted to feel wanted by someone... anyone. I look back now and realize that there were many more important things for me to be focusing on and I hope that this message will help people understand that life does get better after something traumatic and to always think twice about any decision you make, whether it is about something this important or not.

The only mistake I made in this situation was that after the assault, I chose to shove the memory to the back of my mind and pretend it never happened. This was the wrong route for me. Here I am 8 years later and just now telling my story to the public; sure I told the people that were close to me, but I always told them I was fine, when inside I had this burning anger and pain that is never discussed to you at that age. It is never something you expect to happen, but unfortunately, it happens a lot more than you think and getting your stories out there will help stop this epidemic of abuse. I am sitting here at my desk, 8 years later begging you to not be shy and to tell your story. I am choosing to change my future and to let this experience in my life sit on the back burner. I will never let it affect my decisions again, and I will also use it to reach others in this situation. I am bigger than my story.