666:
I WAS sexually abused - at the age of 14, by my stepfather. Don't know if it qualified him as a pedophile - at 14 I did not look like a child, - but it certainly qualified him as a rapist. At the time I told no one - didn't know to whom to turn. For the next three years made sure never to be alone with him. He tried to get to me again when I was 17, and I dislocated his shoulder. I never took any shit from anyone since. I am married now, to a man very different from my stepfather, and we have our own ideas on how to raise young ladies. Which include firearms, karate and scuba diving as well as music and dance lessons. Learn to take care of yourself, because sooner or later there won't be anyone else to do so!
BTW, scuba diving is great fun, but if you do it wrong and are not paying attention, it CAN kill you. Everyone knows "teenagers think they are immortal", but I think it is only true because our society is so protective of children, they have no chance to confront their own mortality. Historically, this was never true. Aside from the fact that before modern medicine most children did not live that long, up until last 50 years or so every 16 year old had seen death stare at his face at least once. Maybe he was chased by a bull. Maybe he was gathering wood in the forest and got treed by wolves. Maybe he was playing on the ice and the ice broke. One way or another, early on you got brutal lessons in taking care of yourself. That is no longer true. I firmly believe that children should be demonstrated, in a controlled environment, how to take their life in their own hands. Scuba diving is perfect. The chances of actually dying are just about zero - instructors are VERY good at what they do, - but if you do not pay attention, you WILL get a scare that will last all your life. And once you do things right, pass your tests and "earn your fins", you have a pride in having accomplished something - another thing often lacking in today's young lives. Not to mention that diving is a totally unbelievable experience.