"This is the third time I have heard River
Huston speak and find her more inspiring each time. I think everyone
can benefit by listening to her message."
Karen Lynn, Lehigh University, PA
These are the thank you texts from the College of Charleston:
River you're awesome!
You are very inspirational
Thanks River I learned a lot
Thank you so much that was awesome you are such a strong person!
I thought you were wonderful tonight
You're are so inspiring no questions thanks!
...your stories. thank you for coming and talking. it really
touched me esp. at a time when i was about to give up on everything. you are
so awesome!!
Thank you so much for speaking tonight. Myself and my sorority thinks you are wonderful!
You did an awesome job tonight and I really enjoyed your
presentation!!!-
Thanks so much!
hi i just wanted to thank you. i really appreciated your
speech and definitely paid attention to everything you had to say!
All the texts and the answers are in my blog this week.
emails:
my names mary katherine and i was at the talk you did at college of
charleston this past thursday. i just wanted to tell you that i think you are an amazing speaker. i went into that arena dreading the mandatory event and hoping it would not last long, but after you started talking i found myself not wanting to leave. you definitely have a gift and it amazes me how many obstacles you have overcome in your life. thank you for sharing your
story, and i just wanted to tell you that you are making a difference.
Hi River. I was at your performance at Wheelock College last Saturday night. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed it. You have an amazing ability to use humor while speaking about difficult issues and telling your own story. I didn't make the smartest decisions about sex and respecting myself as a teenager. I decided a while ago that the next man I was with would be someone I cared about and who cared for me too. That was a couple years ago and I still haven't found the right guy yet. I have been very self-concious about my decisions-sometimes it feels like I'm the only one not partying and having sex all the time. But hearing you speak made me feel like I am making the right choices for myself. Thank you for sharing your story. I wish you all the best in the world.
~Jennifer
Dear River,
I wanted to stay after and talk to you, basically just to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have experienced some of the things that you spoke about and you really touched me and no one has ever been able to, it feels amazing to know there is someone out there similar to you and you're not alone, although my situation was not as drastic, I was raped when I just turned 16 by this 18 year old boy I had been dating for nine months, we did nothing but kiss occassionally and about a month after my 16th birthday, he felt it was appropriate to throw me a party, only the second time I had been introduced to the availability of alcohol, he slipped things into my drink, raped me, video-taped it and showed it to my whole high school...I internalized everything and beat myself up for years, becoming suicidal, anorexic, bulimic...anything I could do to hurt myself...but then I realized what I great thing alcohol was, it made me numb to everything. I drowned the pain with drinking...binge drinking and blacking out, I never thought I had a problem. I went through the whole eating disorder thing because I hated myself so much it was the only thing I could control and, Cosmo told me to. I will never be completely over any of these phases in my life, but you gave me the courage to try to pull through, I've tried forgiving but I hate myself more for everyone not forgiving me the way I'm willing to forgive them...I entered into college and hit the drinking scene again, not like I ever stopped, I was just "moderate", I remained somewhat moderate, and even when I wasn't, nothing serious happened...until one night some kid came to visit SMC and I was pretty sober, I had maybe a couple drinks and I was brutally raped again in my own room here, where I felt safe. He told me he's throw me out of my window if I tried to fight against him. I forgave him too, people make mistakes. He didn't use a condom and told me that I was getting what I deserved, I'm too afraid to get tested, I don't want my life to be over, but I made an appointment in January anyway with a gynecologist which I was going to cancel until you talked tonight.
Feel free to quote me, I have been forever changed by you, you are an amazing woman and I give you so much credit for who you are even from just hearing you tonight, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your audience and be graced by your presence. You weren't kidding when you said you were a "Goddess" :)