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Admittedly I'm a sucker for inspirational stories.

So when I heard that Trisha Meili, aka, The Central Park Jogger, was going to be the keynote speaker at the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center’s Faces of Change luncheon, I leapt at the opportunity to hear what she had to say.

I probably would have attended the fundraiser anyway, because I am so grateful for the many ways the Rape Crisis Center helped me years ago when I was struggling to recover from the sexual abuse I experienced as a child. But the fact that the Central Park Jogger was speaking at the luncheon, was icing on the proverbial cake.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the story of the Central Park Jogger, here’s a bit of the back story:

In April 1989, a young woman running by herself through Central Park in New York City at 9 p.m. was brutally attacked, raped and abandoned, believed to be dead. The woman, however, miraculously survived and recovered, beyond all medical odds.

For many years, the Central Park Jogger chose to keep her identity private. But in her book, I Am The Central Park Jogger, Trisha Meili went public with her story, which recounts her journey of healing and hope, forgiveness and transcendence. Today, she is an inspiring speaker and writer who encourages people to overcome life’s obstacles.

Though some people argue that what happened to Meili doesn’t compare to what some survivors have had to endure, because she never actually remembered being beaten and raped (due to a severe brain injury). To me, she is truly a symbol of compassion, strength and resilience for all of us. If not a hero, than pretty darn close!

It’s true that she never had to deal with the flashbacks and body memories that many of us have had to endure. And it’s also true that she received a great deal of support from her family, friends, and employer that many of us never had the good fortune to receive. And God knows she was blessed with a level of medical intervention that many would never be able to afford.

But to me, none of those differences matter. Though I used to compare my abuse to what happened to other survivors, I realized many years ago that drawing those comparisons only served to create separations, instead of drawing us together. While it’s true that Meili didn’t have to navigate the minefield of flashbacks and body memories, I wasn’t required to learn how to eat or dress myself again after my abuse, because fortunately I didn’t suffer a brain injury, unlike Meili.

In any case, I was so inspired by Meili’s keynote address that I ran out and got her book that next day, which was interesting timing since we were headed to Florida on vacation and her memoir isn’t exactly what one would consider a great beach read. Still, her book was compelling and inspiring and made me reflect on my longtime desire, as a survivor of sexual abuse, to use my journey to help others. To find a way to give back to other survivors who are travelling a similar path, to offer others a hand out of the darkness.

One of the parts of Meili’s book that really drew me in was her desire to use what had happened to her for the good of others. In her book, she writes:

“My desire to use my ordeal in a positive way began as a whisper, slowly and without my full attention, as a kind of nagging just below consciousness. I recognized from the beginning, however, that this would mean giving up my anonymity and that thought held me back … Yes, I knew I had something to share. But I couldn’t yet define it. It didn’t feel safe. I wasn’t ready.”

I could so remember feeling that way, when I had come through the worst of my recovery, that I so wanted to make what had happened to me, somehow help others. And, in fact, it was one of the reasons I became a coach. I believed that all the hard work I’d done to heal those childhood wounds could somehow help others.

And it has. As a life transitions coach, I help clients navigate their difficult life transitions with courage, hope and optimism.

Yet, I admittedly haven’t yet found a way to help fellow survivors. And Meili’s book rekindled that desire in me.

I, too, could write a book that could help people who have survived rape or sexual abuse. And I, too, could speak out about what happened to me, to fellow survivors of trauma.

Or maybe there is something else I could do, some still untapped medium that would allow me to offer fellow survivors hope. To help them see that healing and recovery are possible. That life isn’t just about surviving. It’s about thriving.

Trisha Meili has found her way.

For me, the search continues …

Ellen Brown is a certified professional coach, based in Cleveland, OH, and a regular columnist on ShareWIK.com.  Visit her website at http://ellen-brown.com. 

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