From Being Humiliated to Celebrated

I grew up in a cult. It was heaven — and hell. | Lilia Tarawa | TEDxChristchurch

I tend to browse YouTube a lot and the other day I came across this TED talk. Automatically “I grew up in a cult. It was heaven – and hell,” caught my attention, as it would most people. To be honest I came into watching it with a bias. I thought maybe Lilia Tarawa was brainwashed and that she had thought some twisted upbringing was heaven. This was not lead to be true. I throughly enjoyed her story of how she was beaten down, but still found her way out. I honestly recommend listening to her story. Turn it on while getting ready or while you have time to spare.

(Watch video before spoilers below.)

She speaks of the best days in the cult and then of how her grandfather verbally crushed her others. She was raised in a setting that did not place women in a political standing, so when Tarawa’s school teacher said that she was a natural leader that was a no go with her leader grandfather. Over time she saw brutal beatings and abuse. I feel that it is an powerful story to empower others. That even when it feels like that the world is against you, your personalty will persevere and so can you. I feel like this had a connection to Road of Lost Innocence. Both women go through thing that they shouldn’t. I feel like women are powerful, all humans are. Even after beaten down we are resilient creatures.