To the Boy Who Walked Me Home Freshman Year,
When I was a freshman in college, I began experimenting with drinking. In high school, I did not party, drink or anything of the like. It wasn’t until I started college that I became curious about drinking and being at a State University; it was inevitable that I would eventually have an experience with it at some point.
Freshman year was a year of new beginnings and new experiences. I had brand shiny new friends who knew more about drinking at age 18 than I ever had in my entire existence. At first, I vowed to myself that I would not drink in the dorms, or even drink underage. But, as peer pressure and my own internal curiosity and desire to drink took over, I quickly broke that vow and found myself drinking vodka that tasted like nail polish remover behind the closed doors in my freshman residence hall.
After my friends and I would drink the harsh liquor, we would venture out onto main street in hopes of finding a house party with beer and jungle juice. I remember one night I had done this routine with a group of my friends, a few guys and a few girls. This was the first night I had drank a little too much than I was used to. Once we arrived to the party, I was not feeling well and wanted to go back to my dorm but was in no condition to walk back alone.
I had mentioned to a few of my girlfriends that I wanted to go home but they weren’t ready to go home yet and I didn’t expect them to stop having fun just to walk me home. One of the guys in the group that I was with was someone I had just met that night, had said that he could walk me back.
At the time we were just acquaintances (and still are). It didn’t occur to me that he could have taken advantage of me, given the epidemic of rape and sexual assault on college campuses, and because of the state that I was in, that wasn’t the first thing on my mind at the moment. I trusted too much and the thought of being taken advantage of didn’t even cross my mind… But the boy who walked me home that night did just that. Walked me home. He made sure I got into my dorm room safe and sound and left me be, like I wanted.
I am lucky to have had this experience- to have had a boy I barely knew walk me home and make sure I got home safe. I am lucky because some girls don’t get to say the boy who walked them home just walked them home. Sexual assault and rape on college campuses is an epidemic. I’m sure you’ve heard the statistics so I won’t bore you with that, although I will say that it is on us, EVERYONE to stop sexual assault.
So- to the boy who walked me home that night, the one I smile at every time I pass on campus, thank you. Although we aren’t friends and are in completely different social circles, you made an impact on my life in a larger way than you may even know.
For more information on stopping sexual assault and rape on college campuses, visit http://itsonus.org/ to sign the pledge and be informed.