write and share a "This I Believe" essay

one year later…

Thanks for everyone’s feedback. In the end, my husband is my sharpest critic and I think the essay is so much better for it.

This I believe…

I think about my abortion twice a year. I think about it around the date the procedure was performed and around the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade. It rarely crosses my mind at any other time.

When I do think about my abortion, I think about how lucky I am to live in a country where as difficult a decision it was to make, it was mine to make, right for me or not. I believe the decision I made was best for me and I do not regret it.

I waited. I abstained until I graduated from high school. But, like many college students today, I lacked the knowledge and skills to talk about birth control with my partner, to make sure we used a condom correctly, every time. Even though I knew about condoms, I did not know how to use them. No one ever talked to me about sex – not my teachers or my parents.

Sadly, I remember the day that caused the pregnancy – that dread I felt, knowing that the condom broke. The weeks that followed were torture. When my period was late, I stayed up at night, punching myself in the stomach. I went so far as to drink as much as I thought I could handle without throwing up. But I knew, in the end, a little alcohol was not going to save me.

I wish I had sex education or someone that would have talked to me. Perhaps then, I would have spoken with my partner more insistently. Or perhaps I would have gone to a doctor to get birth control.

Who I am and what I do have been shaped by untold numbers of people and events, including my pregnancy and my abortion. It became a force in my life. I do not want anyone to have to go through the anxiety, frustration and the disappointment of an unintended pregnancy.

After my abortion, I graduated from college. I went on to jobs that I hoped would help others. I’ve worked to protect civil liberties and to fight for the care of people living with HIV/AIDS. Today, I work to expand access to reproductive health care, including sex education. Isn’t that appropriate?

I believe that no one should become pregnant or infected with HIV because they didn’t have information. I believe all individuals, regardless of their age, have a right to be taught how to protect themselves with information and appropriate skills. I believe in a world where no one is faced with a decision of whether or not to have an abortion because of an unintended pregnancy. I believe all individuals deserve the dignity and respect to make decisions about their own sexual health and sexuality without government interference.

I believe in the rights granted by the U.S. Constitution and upheld Roe v. Wade.

I need help with this. I don’t think I transition well between paragraphs. I would appreciate comments. Any editors out there?

This I believe…

I think about my abortion twice a year. I think about it around the date I had it and around the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade. It rarely crosses my mind at any other time.

When I do think about my abortion, I think about how lucky I am to live in a country where as difficult as it was to make that decision, it was mine to make, whether it was right for me or not. I believe the decision I made was best for me and I am happy I made it.

I was in college. And I waited. I abstained until I graduated. But, like many college students today, I did not have the ability to talk about contraception with my partner, to make sure we used a condom correctly, every time. Even though I knew about condoms, I did not know how to use them. No one ever talked to me about sex – not my teachers or my parents.

I don’t place blame anywhere but on myself. But I do wish I had sex education or that someone would have talked to me. Perhaps then, I would have talked to my partner to make sure we used a condom correctly, every time. Or perhaps I would have gone to a doctor to get birth control. Who I am and what I do have been shaped by untold numbers of people and events, including my pregnancy and my abortion. It has become a force in my life. I do not want anyone to have to go through the anxiety, frustration and the disappointment of an unintended pregnancy.

The decision I made allowed me to fulfill my goals and my dreams. I graduated from college. I went on to jobs that I hoped would help others. I’ve worked to protect civil liberties and to fight for the care of people living with HIV/AIDS. Today, I work to expand access to reproductive health care, including sex education. How appropriate.

I believe that no one should become pregnant or infected with HIV because they didn’t have information. And I believe all individuals, regardless of their age, have a right to be taught how to protect themselves through knowledge and skills. I believe in a world where no one is faced with a decision of whether or not to have an abortion because of an unintended pregnancy. I believe all individuals deserve the dignity and respect to make decisions about their own sexual health and sexuality without government interference.

I believe in the rights granted by the U.S. Constitution and upheld Roe v. Wade.

Wrote my first draft today of my personal essay. It rolled out pretty easily. I’ve been thinking about it for probably 2 years at this point. So I knew the topic. It feels very personal. And at the moment, I am afraid of sharing it because it tells my secret. But I will work on refining it and then being brave enough to post it.

Thanks to toddschoonover from whom I got this goal. However, my idea would that we as a group, collectively write the essay about what we believe 43Things is. Then we all record a few sentences each from it.

Everyone could write a paragraph answering the question. Then one or two of us could compile and edit it.

What do you think?