This isn’t something I talk about much, it’s not something that comes up casually during conversation. I witnessed domestic violence when I was younger – my mom was physically, emotionally, and verbally abused by her ‘boyfriend’/'fiance’. I’m not even sure what to call him because to me he was just a low-life scum bag. One of the regrets I have is ever calling him ‘dad’. He did NOT deserve that. Not after beating my mom up, giving her a black eye, and embarrassing me in front of my friends.
I remember one night, everyone got into an argument over something. I can’t remember what exactly, but there was a lot of yelling and slamming doors involved. In the midst of it, I stormed off to my room while he followed me. I screamed bloody murder and slammed my door – right onto his fingers as he tried to push the door open. Our neighbors heard everything. He started cussing and yelling, and my mom, for whatever reason instead of seeing if *I* was okay, tended to him. I went next door, to our neighbors, who had heard all of it through the walls as we lived in a duplex ranch-style home. They let me use their phone to call my best friend’s mom. I was begging her to come pick me up and let me stay the night. She wouldn’t. She refused to. I ended up going back home, and locking myself in my room for the night. I was afraid. I never told anyone, but I was afraid. I had pissed him off, I knew he was, basically, drunk all of the time, and could do anything. I regretted slamming the door, but now looking back on it, I wish I would have just punched him in his face.
I think my mom was scared of being alone and that’s why she stayed with him. And after he hit her and yelled at her and drank all of time, she was diagnosed with cancer. I think she felt hopeless and gave up. I wish she hadn’t.
To help others who feel trapped and scared in an abusive relationship, you can team up with Verizon and their new initiative, HopeLine. You can donate a phone:
- In person
Drop phones at any Verizon Wireless Communications Store.
To find a store, visit the online Store Locator at
www.verizonwireless.com/storelocator. - By mail
Print a postage-paid label at
www.verizonwireless.com/hopelinemailinglabel, adhere it to the
box/envelope with the phone and mail.
Review all shipping instructions carefully and include a return address on
the label.
Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.
[...] Can you believe there is an express pay stand right in the store? I didn’t know that was there. I guess if all of the sales reps are busy you can just walk right up and pay your bill without even having to talk to anyone. This machine even takes cash! There is also a station where you can change your plan, take a look at your bill, basically anything you want to look up on your account, you can do it at this station. The last thing I noticed was the HopeLine donation bin. HopeLine is a wonderful program that can help lots of people in need. The program allows people to donate their used cell phones and then puts those phones in the hands of abuse victims. If you would like to read more about the HopeLine program, check out these informational posts from our friends at Go Mamma Coupons, A Few Short Cuts, penny pinchin’ mom, Mommy Goggles, or Moments with mandi. [...]
Very, very touchy subject for me. I hope my kids don’t grow up to have these types of memories you have. I have a phone but it’s a TMobile phone. I wonder if they could use it.