This week I attended this meeting in Tingvoll. Where people from the senter against incest and sexual abuse, crisis center, rape emergency unit, the police, health and care in the counsil of Tingvoll, the midwife and health nurse. All these stood up and spoke about their services. I was asked to read two of my poems at the end of the representative of the crisis center. I read my poems: “He Damaged Me”, and “Remember Me”. To a crowd of over 100 people in the audience. It was well apreaciated, and me amazed by myself of doing it too. Consider I had a bad night where I was close of not being able to get out of bed in the morning, after the worst nightmare and new memorise of abuse I ever had..

First they had 10 min each to speak, then 6 ladies danced zumba for us on the stage, then we all had something to eat and raffle ticets were sold, before they sat down and had questions from the audience.

Someone had asked a question that brought out how important it is to dare to see these children and so I got my mind of how important it is to believe in them too. And I managed to stand up and point out how important it is to dare to believe in the child that talks about abuse. I was as young as 6 and told I was a liar, when I was telling the truth. It is very damaging to NOT believe in a child that talks about abuse. All it had taken to stop it was to believe and make it stop. I was shivering standing there.. A few more questions came from the audience.

I had brought the book “Silent No More” with me, and the lady holding this event brought me back up and talked about the book. And she gave me a cup with the lady who had founded the organisation she is representing this evening. Wich she also handed out to each of the people who had spoken earlier in the evening.

Then we had a huge raffle ticet table at the end. I didn’t win anything, but I had allready got the cup so it was more than an awesome evening with so many wonderful people talking about this cause, and all the people in the audience attending for information.

I hope all around Norway they will have more meetings about the subject. The public needs to care more about what happens behind close doors and outdoors anytime.