The Bristlecone Project is an awareness campaign of 1in6.org. Photographs and text by David Lisak, Ph.D.
For many years Bret was haunted by nightmares, weighted by depressions, perplexed by huge gaps in his memory of his childhood. Bret had escaped his family and volunteered and served in Desert Storm, but he could not fathom the unseen “blueprint” that was shaping his life. Then, when Bret was 39, his older brother died suddenly of a stroke. Visiting the family farmhouse for the first time in years, Bret discovered in his brother’s room a “sex offender’s haven.” Suddenly, the past slipped into focus, and the years of sexual abuse emerged from the shrouded past.
For the first time, Bret sought help for his depressions, but received no help for the trauma that was feeding them. It was Bret who finally insisted that he needed help dealing with the sexual abuse, and with perseverance he found a therapist, and a group, who could help him. With their support, Bret confronted the traumas, and for the first time felt like “a survivor.” But more recently, he has found that he is “no longer comfortable being a survivor in silence.” Disclosing to his friends, and to an ever-widening network, and ultimately publicly, Bret realized that “the weight’s been lifted.” Working as a correctional seargent at a treatment center for sex offenders, Bret encounters men, daily, who remind him of his brother. But rather than hate them, he seeks to understand what drives them, and through that process, he has come to understand the brutalization that drove his brother, and to forgive him.
Originally posted on 1in6.org
—
It’s never too early to start talking about Father’s Day on The Good Men Project. We’re looking for sponsors and contributors for our #ModernDayDad campaign. https://t.co/WJvKqq2kTe pic.twitter.com/j66LNCY0VG
— The Good Men Project (@GoodMenProject) March 11, 2019
—
We celebrate Gay Pride all year long. But this year, we’re doing some special programing for a large-scale campaign #LoveEqually. We’re looking for both sponsors and contributors. Check it out! https://t.co/tkraXFPxLL pic.twitter.com/X2FlBEZb8Y
— The Good Men Project (@GoodMenProject) March 11, 2019
What’s your take on what you just read? Comment below or write a response and submit to us your own point of view or reaction here at the red box, below, which links to our submissions portal.
◊♦◊
Sign up for our Writing Prompts email to receive writing inspiration in your inbox twice per week.
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member, today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all-access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class, and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group, and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
◊♦◊
Get the best stories from The Good Men Project delivered straight to your inbox, here.