Posted on 05/01/2009 7:35:13 AM PDT by lady lawyer
Elizabeth Smart vividly remembers being awakened in the middle of the night by "feeling something cold and sharp to my neck."
She awoke to a bearded man armed with a knife who was wearing a stocking cap and whom she thought she had never seen before. He told her, "Don't make a sound. Get up out of bed quickly."
Speaking Thursday at the annual Crime Victims Conference at the Capitol, Smart talked for the first time in detail about portions of her nine-month kidnapping in 2002, including an experience in San Diego where she was so weak from starvation that she couldn't move after going a week without food.
. . . .
Just because one bad incident happens in your life, she said, you don't have to live the rest of your life around it. Smart recalled her mother telling her after she returned home, "They took nine months from you. Make sure you don't give any more to them."
. . . .
Last year, Smart participated in the preparation of a pamphlet released by the U.S. Justice Department entitled, "You Are Not Alone, The Journey From Abduction to Empowerment." The 63-page book tells of several kidnapping cases, with the survivors saying what they want to in their own words.
The pamphlet has been called a survivor's guide for kidnap victims. Smart hopes it will help others realize they don't have to be victims forever.
"Miracles happen. You can be happy and have a wonderful and beautiful life," was her message to survivors.
. . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at deseretnews.com ...
I agree about the UPS guy, etc. But contractors are a different matter.
A few years ago, we did an extensive remodel and relandscape. When I could, I used contractors whom I knew well, and I even knew the crews. Sometimes, while I knew the contractors and trusted them, when the crews showed up for a concrete pour, or to tape off the house for painting, or something else, some in the crew looked pretty sketchy. I didn’t have any control over that.
The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel. Fundamental goodness and dignity was long ago lost in the garden.
I have nothing but a heavy heart for Miss Smart. I have a young daughter too.
I will be having my roof done and home repainted soon. The roof is a one day deal, but not the painting.
In the 40’s, we’d get hobos in our town perhaps because of the railroad running through it. Never heard of them harming anyone. My sister, a neighbor’s son, and I took food down to a couple of them who were in a shack near the rr. They never bothered us.
I’m actually happy for her. She was soooo lucky to live through that and come out the other side. She’ll always have a dark side, but she has Faith and God will see her through.
It’s certainly a different world, isn’t it? It wasn’t that long ago, in a mid-size town in Utah, that nobody locked their doors.
Hopefully, she’ll find a good man and have a happy, uneventful life. It can happen.
One of my kids’ friends was kidnapped with his little sister when he was about five. The kids were kept about half a day and dropped off in a canyon near out house. I never asked their mother if they were molested, I just assumed it.
They seem to have come out of it okay. Of course, they were younger, and not famous.
If I were to worry for Elizabeth Smart about anything at this point, it is that she will attract fame-seeking guys because of her notoriety, instead of for the right reasons.
I’m surprised that some good and caring young gentleman her age hasn’t noticed what a beautiful young lady she is...
Some probably have. I suspect she will be very careful and take a fair amount of time in selecting her husband, though. She will want to weed out the ones who are interested in her just because they know they will get their name in the paper if they marry her.
I have been blessed to have several such lifelong friendships with ladies -- the most wonderful of which is that with my wife (of 48 years this month).
Just as ugly anti-Catholic strains on FR.....but I STILL LOVE IT!!
We lock ours whenever we go out, even if it’s only for a few minutes. There have been break-ins in the county, like we’ve never had before. Very sad. My country is disappearing.
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