FBW: Jules from Michon Michon (Ms. December)

FBW stands for Featured Blogger of the Week. Each week we will feature one of our calendar ladies or gentleman. Mondays will be a post written by the FBW and Wednesdays will be an interview of the FBW. If you want to know how you can be a part of the Blogger Body Calendar project, please click here.

I feel very honored to be Ms. December for the Blogger Body Calendar. Last year, I wrote a guest post for BBC. I wrote about the difficulties and triumphs in accepting my grown up body. Having been many different sizes, and doing crazy diets to keep a certain weight, I loved finding a site where women came together to battle the stigmas and mental conflicts surrounding our bodies.

This year, when I heard that the proceeds of the calendar are going to Violence Un-Silenced, I was thrilled. I know that only by sheer luck, I’ve avoided being the target of violence. I think back to college when I stayed the night with a guy I had just met at a bar. When we walked into his apartment, there were five other guys sitting around the TV. Six guys plus me. That should have cried out to me, “DANGER!” but I was at a time in my life when I was invincible. The guy and I barely even made out that night. He, along with any one of those other guys, could have done anything they wanted to me. Sheer luck.

Many of my friends haven’t been so lucky. They’ve told me their stories of rape, date rape, being stalked, being pushed, being hit. Even in my own family, my sister has dealt with being stalked by an ex-boyfriend. And more recently, being pushed by a newer one. The betrayal of being hurt by someone you love isn’t easy to get over. Yet, they’ve all done it. They’ve grown. They’ve taken their experiences and done tremendous things with them.

My sophomore year in college, I did an internship at a women’s shelter. Part of my job when I was there, was to work with the kids. I remember one time when I was playing in a doll house with a four year old. Down the hall, one of the women slammed her door. The little girl jumped and looked at me with fear in her eyes. I could tell in her very short life, that she had seen more than I had. A week later, her mom took her and went back to her abuser. My heart ached. I realized later that the need to feel loved, even if it was by a man that hurts you, is sometimes the only thing that a person can see. At least until you can love yourself.

Women shouldn’t feel ashamed about their experiences. That’s why Violence Un-Silenced is such a wonderful cause. It takes the feeling of being alone out of the situation. I’m extremely proud to be a part of this year’s Blogger Body Calendar.

Jules can be found blogging at Michon Michon, as well as spending a huge chunk of time on Twitter and on FB.