I am a 51-year-old male sexual assault survivor. I was raped from about age 5, which is the earliest I can remember, to 13 years old when I was finally mature enough and physically
capable of stopping the abuse.
It took me until I had my first child at age 34 years old to realize the impact sexual assault had on my life. I buried the pain deep inside of me to avoid thinking about it. Sexual assault impacted my relationships, jobs, perception of my self-worth, and caused intense never-ending anxiety. I remember watching the moving Mystic River on TV and punching a brick wall in anger when the sexual abuse scene came up.
Bioherms at Lady Finger Point, Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island State Park, Utah
After that, my wife insisted that I get help. I attended a retreat at Alta, Utah through Jim Struve of MenHealing in Fall 2016, which was instrumental in my recovery. I have continued to be active with Jim and his team since attending the retreat.
I have always been passionate about the outdoors, including hiking, skiing, and climbing. The mountains have always been a place in which I am treated as an equal and thrived. My love
of the outdoors led me to take up landscape photography during my recovery journey. Before photography, I never engaged in an artistic pursuit. I was more interested in science and engineering.
Miribalites at the shore of the Great Salt Lake, Great Salt Lake State Park, Utah
Landscape photography is mindfulness for me. The world was a cruel and ugly place for me when I was a boy. However, through the lens of a camera, there is much beauty in this
world. The camera lens focuses the world into a scene that I perceive and provides me with great satisfaction when I capture the fleeting moment of nature’s beauty. The camera lens transforms the world and I into a better place.
I have chosen three images from the Great Salt Lake to share. The Great Salt Lake has always been a place that I enjoyed exploring as it is local, and its beauty is unappreciated. The Great Salt Lake was one of the first places that I photographed when I was teaching myself landscape photography. The Great Salt Lake is a dynamic environment that constantly changes from season to season and water levels. This dynamic nature of the Great Salt Lake is realistic of life and the recovery process.
MenHealing is an exceptional organization that helps men recover from male sexual assault and learn to thrive. I would encourage you to support MenHealing in any way you can.
A small donation goes a long way with a nonprofit like MenHealing.
Sunset at Lady Finger Point, Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island State Park, Utah
Sam THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
3 months ago