I love autumn. It is my favorite time of year. In particular, I love October. But, I’m not loving My Girl Oprah’s October O Magazine. I think she totally missed the mark beginning with the cover.
With the exception of the rolling, honey-colored hills, dotted with bits of green juniper (looks like Colorado to me) in the background, I don’t see October represented anywhere here.
Is the new autumn color periwinkle blue? What about the convertible? Where is she living that she can drive around in October in a convertible? And, don’t even get me started on the dog.
I know Oprah loves her dogs but sheesh – looks to me like that dog needs to go back to obedience school.
Here’s what is important about October. And you won’t find this on the cover either so it’s a good thing you stopped to read. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. If you want to read the magazine for anything at all, read it for this. I’m sure it’s buried deep within the bowels of the magazine.
Shame on the editors for not putting it out there front and center. Isn’t National Domestic Violence Awareness Month worthy of a front cover? That’s a redundant question.
I thank my luck stars for my local Women’s Shelter. If it were not for them, I could not have left my husband and started anew.
Your local shelter will provide a safe haven and access to resources to help you reclaim your life. Believe me, the most selfish thing you can do, it not to call and get help. Especially if you have children.
If you wonder whether or not you’re being abused, here’s some of the warning signs according to Sheryl Cates, executive director of the National Domestic Violence Hotline:
- Jealousy and possessiveness
- Controlling behavior
- Verbal abuse
- Threats to harm you, your family or your pet
- Isolation from friends and family
Ms. Cates says that many of us may be in a potential violent relationship and not even know it.
My husband showed all of these signs before I married him. They only got worse during the course of our marriage.
If you have a friend, family member, sister, co-worker, or cousin – you owe it to them to share this information with them.
I recently met this woman named Lucy. We have a class together. She stopped by the table where I was studying and said “Hi.”
I said “Hello,” back and invited her to sit down.
As usual I talked too much. During the course of our conversation it turns out that she was married to my husband! Not literally, I mean figuratively, of course.
I met women in the Shelter that shared the same history. It’s as if someone baked a giant batch of gingerbread men and let them escape onto society. The only difference is they gave them different colored scarves, but deep down they all have the same ingredients.
I’m stunned by the number of us that share the same experience. Wouldn’t it seem logical that if the same man is out there only in different clothes, someone would have put an APB out for him? Wouldn’t we all want to be on the lookout for the offender?
His personality is the same. He often hails from the same town; similar kind of family, same kind of job history and usually with a substance abuse history (or two).
Let me ask you – How many of you loved your mother-in-law but can stand your ex? I rest my case!
I have a theory about why we gravitate toward this “Gingerbread Man.” I think it begins very early in our childhood and I think we have the power as women to do something about it.
I’m sure My Girl Oprah would lift her fist to the air (you’ve seen her do it a million times) and give us a big YEAH in support of this very important cause!
Forgive me, editors of O but I couldn’t give a rat’s hindquarters about Jay-Z, Instant Beauty Boosters or the Not So $30 bag – Yuck!
What I do care about is this: October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Find out what you can do in your community. Get involved. Help your sisters and yourself!
