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The Importance of June 8

Posted June 24, 2008

On June 8, she woke up ready to tackle the world. She probably talked to her parents. She might've watched the news or read the paper. She might've had a cup of coffee or some orange juice, who knows.

On June 8, she might've brushed her teeth, chatted with her mom, or started a load of laundry. We know now that she definitely laced up her running shoes.

The morning was sunshiny and the air was sticky - humid, but just comfortable enough that she could still get a good pace going.

The newspapers call her a "jogger," but I hate that term and refuse to use it. I remember hating that term long before I ever became a runner myself.

Consider the next door neighbor who had 8 marathons under his belt and a personal record of 3 hours and 15 minutes. "Jogger," the other neighbors categorized him. But I knew better.

Consider the victim of one of the most brutal and mysterious attacks of 1989 in New York City's Central Park. "The Central Park Jogger," as she was known - but when she revealed her identity and her story in order to combat the ongoing stigma of sexual assault victims, back in 2003, Trisha Meili actually turned out to be a marathoner and a survivor. Much more than just a "jogger."

On June 8, she was a runner. She was strong - she is strong. She was probably hitting her second wind. She was probably stronger than she'd ever been. She was probably filled with the euphoria of the notorious "runner's high."

On June 8, she rounded an unfortunate corner into the Terra Pines neighborhood. And then he showed up.

We don't know who "he" is, but right now, everyone in Greenville knows what he did, what he looks like. He knows he's being looked for. That's why this cowardly rapist and attacker hasn't dared to show his face since June 8. That's why there are posters of him hanging everywhere from the front of a fitness center on Old Spartanburg Rd. to the inside of car windows across the Eastside of Greenville.

We know a little about the suspect, though, thanks to his victim and her thoughtful, graceful strength throughout her ordeal. What an amazing young woman he picked to prey on - and what a big mistake that was. This young woman was able to help police compose a detailed sketch of him. She's taken them shopping to find shorts almost identical to the ones he was wearing during the attack. She remembered his hair style, she took note of his facial features, and his build. And because of this, we all have hope that he will eventually be caught.

On June 8, a woman was out for a run in the seemingly safe light of day. What happened to her was unexpected, unforgivable, and unthinkable. The very freedom that we all take for granted - like the ability to make choices with regards to our bodies, our limits, our control over our own lives, and our personal space - was stolen from her without warning. This woman will spend months, years, possibly the rest of her life dealing with some repercussions of her attack. And though she will likely go on to live a full and happy life, this woman will never forget June 8.

What I want to ask you, readers, to do is to imagine that she wasn't just some mysterious runner. She is your daughter. She is your sister. She is your mother, your wife, your girlfriend, you best friend - she is every woman. And every woman deserves the right to have predators like this man off the street.

On June 8, this woman was every woman.

If you recognize the man in the sketch pictured here, please call 23-CRIME. Every lead is golden, and every tip takes investigators one step closer to finding this man.