Reunion Online

Here on the east coast, the nights are getting crisp and the leaves are beginning to change. Fall means only one thing around here: football season. As a child growing up in a rural town, football was a central part of folks’ lives. Football culture defined what it meant to be a male. Back home, true American males embodied football. 

In my work with 1in6, I’ve heard many men’s stories of trauma and recovery, each one unique. 

I’ll admit that when I first listened to David Holthouse’s startling declaration that he’d once planned to commit murder, I was a bit shocked. It would have been difficult then to imagine how his searing story of recovery from a childhood rape could be transformed into a play that would leave me feeling, not just moved, but inspired. 

This past week, I met with our attorneys for two and a half hours as we are again depending on their expertise and guidance as we embark on another exciting project. I was reminded as I sat across the table from Todd Schneider and Laura McGurty that their deep care and commitment to 1in6 and the men we serve makes our work possible.

Trust and safety are powerful gifts to give a man on a healing journey. In creating a safe space, we give them support and hope.

In today's 1in6 Thursday, Cecil Murphey recounts an experience talking with another male survivor of childhood sexual abuse. A man decided to break the silence of his abuse by talking with other men. He’s finally able to believe that others have struggled with the same issues because of the molestation in his childhood. As Cecil says, all of us win by helping each other.