My story. I have a story? Until tonight, I had no idea that I had a story. All those signs about 1 in 4 women... I wasn't one of those women. Wait. Am I?

I'm not sure how to say what happened; I'm still trying to sort that out, face my emotions, and accept that, yes, what happened was sexual assault. But I think this is a start.

My boyfriend told me it wasn't my fault. He listened to what happened, and he believed me. He really, truly believed me. And he called it sexual assault. The problem was I couldn't believe it myself. Deep down, I still felt like I had sparked the whole situation and that my boyfriend saw me as a cheater, as a slut. I kept trying to just put it behind me and let it go, but the guilt and the thoughts about what happened kept coming back.

I was reading an email for my dorm community tonight, and it had information about Project Dinah events for the month of April. I stumbled on this blog, and I started to read some of the personal accounts that other people have posted. I couldn't believe what I was reading... these were the EXACT feelings and thoughts that I was experiencing too. When my boyfriend came by, I could barely get the words out to tell him he was right. I was just so completely struck by the realization of what my experience actually was.

I want to thank all of you for sharing your stories with me and so many others. I truly admire your strength. Be proud of the steps you are taking to heal, and know that you are touching so many people through being open about your experiences. I'm not sure when I would have recognized the true nature of what I went through, but reading your accounts has put me towards the first step in getting better: acceptance.

My blue "24 Hour Rape-Free Zone" shirt is hanging over the back of my chair for me to put on in the morning. It's meaning has grown so much tonight.