I am in tears. Absolutely in disbelief. I don’t even know why I did it, but I’m so glad I did.
I was looking for exactly the right place for my book podcast interview today. I was driving around without really knowing where I was going. I was in the turn lane, prepared to head home because I figured I could probably just do the interview from home. Instead, I backed up and got out of the turn lane and instead went another direction. I ended up at a park I’ve only been to maybe three times in my life. I knew it had a beautiful backdrop and would be nice for an on video interview.
We were almost done with the interview when the young man approached. As he walked up I shook my head and held my hand up in the air so that he knew not to approach because I was currently busy. I figured it first that he was just somebody looking for pocket change. But he was respectful. When the interview ended and the interviewer and I were just randomly catching up on some things, he sat patiently and waited. We talked for a long time, probably 45 minutes, and he waited the entire time. He didn’t stare at me, he didn’t invade my space. He sat far enough away to where he couldn’t hear the conversation but close enough that I didn’t forget he was there. His pink hair and flannel shirt with ripped jeans stood as a solid contrast to everything that I was wearing and how I was presenting myself. I had no idea of the similarities we would share.
He waited. He continued waiting. He didn’t stop waiting. Finally when I was off the phone I waved him over. He jumped up and eagerly pranced in my direction. He walked as though he were going to walk directly up to me and I asked him to have a seat while gesturing at the opposite side of the table. He introduced himself as Vincent.
Vincent, as it would turn out, is such a victim of severe abuse that he has developed dissociative identity disorder, also known as schizophrenia or split personality. He claimed to have 13 different personalities stuck inside of his brain, one of them being the identity of Jesus Christ. Another one being that if Lucifer. The one I mostly had a conversation with was 26-year-old Vincent but a young 17-year-old girl by the name of MALLEY did make an appearance also.
He never asked for money. He did not want anything but for somebody to listen. He needed somebody to believe him. I was uncomfortable and scared at first but I kept situational awareness and was supremely cognizant of what was happening around me. In time I relaxed. Eventually Vincent began to cry, and broke down in sobs. He knew I wasn’t afraid of him anymore and he knew that I believed him about his abuse.
He has my email address, I’m hoping to have him reach out to me later on so I can put him in touch with people who might be able to help. I believe God altered my route today. He didn’t want me to go home to do my interview, he wanted me to find myself in that uncomfortable position so that I would have the opportunity to maybe help somebody at least a little. Even if the only help I was able to offer was just being there to listen to him, I think that was the difference Vincent needed. Possibly Malley to.
For those who aren’t familiar with split personality or schizophrenia or dissociative identity disorder, it is most prevalent among those with severe prolonged exposure to trauma and horrific abuse. I have learned that it can be more common among those who are trafficked for long periods of time.
I don’t know what - if anything - I can do for Vincent. But I was in the right place at the right time to at least try. Broken and hurting people like Vincent are the reason I do what I do.
I WILL NOT BE SILENCED.
