I’ve been part of the November Project Minneapolis tribe since June 2015. During that time I’ve developed some unique friendships and hold myself accountable to #JustShowUp to as many workouts as I can. As with other NPers, I look forward to seeing the group, feeling the energy and “belonging” to something so cool in our community. Sweaty hugs are now part of my vocabulary and November Project has become part of my routine. As of April 30, 2016, it means so much more.
Some people know my story, most don’t realize I’m still dealing with it today and even more definitely don’t realize the impact November Project has had.
On the evening of April 30, 2016 my world was rocked. I was walking home from a charity event in downtown Minneapolis and woke up laying on the sidewalk in a pool of blood. I don’t remember anything that happened. The first thing I remember is my head severely bleeding and 4 strangers telling me that I was going to be ok. From there I remember small parts – the ambulance arriving, being rolled into the ER, the thought “what the fuck is happening?”, the CT scan, doctors and nurses helping me.
Police officers visited my hospital room the next morning and that’s when I learned what happened. Six people had attacked me and that five of the six had been arrested.
I remember thinking in the hospital “How could this happen to me?” I always walk by myself. This was the 4th time that week I had walked this route to go home. I live downtown, so I am able to walk as much as possible and enjoy the city, our community.
As hours passed at the hospital, the realization of my injuries started to set in… I had a traumatic brain injury, huge cut on my head that required 21 stitches, scrapes down the side of my face, my 2 front teeth were chipped off. This was quite a jolt to my system and lifestyle and I was down for the count for a while.
The healing process continues today. I continue to have difficulty sleeping and I have frequent headaches of which I’m reminded of this senseless act. Loud noises, bumps or potholes in the road and being in large groups are a few of the things that still cause some slight panic.
Above and beyond the physical injuries, the attack stripped me of my freedom to enjoy the city of Minneapolis. The attack caused me to lose trust in strangers. I realized that along with the physical healing, my trust and feeling of freedom would need to be part of the recovery process.
Cue November Project Minneapolis.
My friends, family and November Project Minneapolis have been a huge part of my healing process. I remember following the incident how bummed I was thinking I’d have to miss November Project for a few weeks. But I felt the love during this time, receiving messages, notes, even coffee deliveries from my NP peeps.
I cannot begin to explain the impact November Project Minneapolis has had on my healing process. I still remember my first day back, arriving to the workout, getting a hug from Holly & Ben (our awesome NP MSP leaders) and instantly feeling a sense of belonging. They didn’t know it, but emotionally, I was a mess that day. I was taking a huge step. I struggled through the workout physically, but mentally, it was the absolute best medicine I could have received. I continue to get doses of that medicine every single week.
Almost one year later, the people who attacked me are still going through the court process. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help the healing process. I try not to think or talk about it much as I don’t want to waste energy on the negative. Each time I go to court and face one of the defendants, it’s like ripping off a band-aid. However, I get strength by believing my statements in court will allow us all to enjoy our community…and you better know that “fuck yeah” attitude helps me too!
I owe it to each and every person at the NP workouts for helping me get through an unfortunate time in my life. Most of the tribe members don’t know what I’ve gone through and several don’t know me that well. But I have a message for everyone at November Project Minneapolis – I KNOW YOU! You are November Project Minneapolis and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
