Man oh man oh man, but my place was a hoot and a holler last night! I had just got home, started heating the oven, set my baby on the floor, and stepped into the garage to start a load of laundry. When I did so the door slammed shut behind me and triggered the spring activated mechanism in the doornob. So there I was, locked out of the house with a screaming and terrified 11 month old baby locked inside. I had one saving grace. I am a client of the South Lake Tahoe Women's Center and a resident of their transitional housing program, and as such, had access to advocates with keys. Of course, my phone was inside the house, with the baby, who by now was crawling out of the kitchen screaming and trying to find me. I had to do something and do it fast so I stepped out of my comfort zone, and went to a neighbor I had never spoken to EVER and asked if I could use her phone. Sensing how distraught I was, she immediately accompanied me back and helped me maintain verbal and eye contact with my sweet, poor, paniced little one through the living room window. I had used the phone to call a crisis counselor (Advocate #1) who began to try to call someone with a key. Unable to reach anyone, within 10 minutes he had called our local police who responded quite quickly. Here is where my readers need to use their visualization skills and picture what I'm telling you. One police officer was at my garage door trying to trip the lock with the help of my neighbor's husband, another police officer was maintaining a sense of order and calm,(NOT EASY) and my neighbor and Iwere trying to keep my baby from moving out of our sight by tapping on the window and talking, and my little one screaming, scared, hearing noises from people trying to rescue her, only she doesn't know that! Imagine, dear readers, my relief as as Advocate number two shows up. She does not have a key but she has come to let me know I am not alone. This crisis is not mine to bear by myself, because I have people who care and understand. This is so important to victims of domestic violence, because we are often isolated and misunderstood. Advocate number two tells me she had another advocate (number three) on the way with a key. Within five minutes advocate number three reaches the driveway, leaps out of her car, and runs to the door with the key. My neighbor, advocates number two and three and I all pile into the house en masse to rescue my baby. Remarkably, even though she had been trapped inside the house and crying for a little over an hour she recovered within ten minutes. She needed to be held in my arms all night while we slept, but I didn't mind doing it one bit. One of the first things I did today was copy the house key. (Hindsight is always 20/20,right?).
I feel stronger today. Stronger within my person because I reached out to strangers, received the aid and support I needed, and was validated by others that yes, this was indeed a bad thing happening. This is very big to a survivor. So many times we reach out and are not validated, we are not helped, we are Just not heard. Because of this, I would like to thank the following people:
Advocate #1- How rare it is to see a man volunteering on behalf of women. You are on the frontline, brother.
SLTPD- To the two officers who responded to the 911 call, I was so focused on my child, I do not even know who you were. God bless you.
My kind and understanding neighbors- You have shown me that I do not have to be afraid to know who you live next to. Thank you.
Advocate#2- You couln't solve the immediate problem but you damn sure were not going to let me go through it alone.You rock.
Advocate #3- When I saw you run to my door, run; not walk, you let me know there was no doubt how much I and my daughter mean to you. I will never forget , and you hold the key to our hearts.(everyone say awwwwww)
SLTWC- Without you this blog, this article, and the people it touches, would not exist. It is because of you that I am the woman I am today. There are no words to thank you, since they are pathetically inadequate.
Peace to all, and play nice.
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Posted by spears at 1:47 PM 
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