On Tuesday, October 27, and Wednesday, October 28, Tim Markison, 61, rolled through Oberlin and Oakdale on his bicycle as he travels across the country on a 3,000 mile cross-country trip to bring awareness about child abuse and change. Markison left San Diego, California, on September 29, and will end his trip in Jacksonville, Florida, in early November.
The issue is close to Markison, who is a survivor of child abuse. His own story includes rape between the ages of 5 and 14, beaten, choked, locked in a freezer and told he was a worthless human being. He said as a child, the one positive thing was baseball. And like many others, Markison did survive. He did it with defense mechanisms like disassociation and wiping the “bad memories” away. It wasn’t until his first daughter was born, that the emotional wounds started breaking through the barriers his young mind had put in place and he had to begin a journey toward recovery, toward loving himself and toward healing and realizing none of these things were his fault. He was a survivor.
As an adult, Markison married his high school sweetheart. His wife also was a survivor of alcoholism in her own childhood. He went to college to study electrical engineering and then to law school to work as a patent lawyer. (He is the founder and CEO of Athalonz, LLC., a founding partner of the patent boutique law firm, Garlick & Markison, and inventor of more than 300 patents.) His wife became a therapist. They have two daughters and a granddaughter. One daughter works with his wife, and the other works with him. Markison said he was living the American dream when the issues of his childhood affected adulthood. Both he and his wife have worked toward healing. And today, he says, “I’ve come to realize I’m a smart, lovable, valuable and a worthwhile person.”
And once this survivor’s healing began, he had to find ways to assist other survivors. He said he started this trip to bring awareness about the issue of surviving child abuse. He soon realized it was hard to ride the bicycle day-after-day, and the media wasn’t really interested in his ride. “They didn’t think an old guy riding his bike was news worthy,” he said.
Markison said with all the time he had on the bike, he got to focus on himself, his goals and what he could do to help others. He said he soon learned his message was his personal story and what he endured and the challenges he has dealt with to survive. Markison hopes his story inspires others, gives them hope that they can survive and hope that there is a good life out there.
As a survivor, he is still healing. And sometimes, the effects of his childhood still play a part in his life, but his healing, an ongoing process, allows him to show that one can survive. So he’s blogging, writing his story, riding the bike and talking about child abuse and its effects. And when he shares his story, others are able to share their own stories of abuse. He believes every time a voice is put to the issue, a part of healing is occurring. Markison is also considering legislation that will make changes in this country.
“I have a strong belief if people feel better about themselves, changes can be made.” Markison said.
He has a lot of data to support his beliefs, and Markison knows he’s going to start working for better legislation in the healthcare area to help others. He explains one in four women and one in six men have been abused as children, a statistic that has not changed in 30 years. Most were abused by adults who were themselves, victims of child abuse. That data is what pushes him toward making mental healthcare available to everyone.
He believes mental healthcare can change those with the urge to hurt others. He said feeling good about one’s self will diminish the need to hurt others. And if mental healthcare can change one person or prevent one case of child abuse, then it’s a move in the right direction; a positive change.
Changing one’s future or preventing child abuse and setting goals is what Markison has learned on this trip. He believes his cause is worth fighting for, and bringing awareness and sharing his knowledge is how one begins change; begins recovery; begins healing. Survival is the key and then learning that each person is valuable is definitely a start. He said survivors carry scars for the rest of their life. Sharing helps with healing; learning how to cope with feelings is another part of the healing process. Markison’s had a long road himself, but this trip has made things a lot clearer for him and Markison knows what he needs to do.
Every day he’s also working on his story. Markison doesn’t have concrete plans yet, but he’s formulating his next move as his rides across America bringing awareness to the issue of child abuse. He’s a survivor, and his story, in the end, will be positive because he will use all that negativity from his childhood days and show others how to turn it into something positive.
Markison said he has met a lot of people on this trip. They have been nice and supportive of him. He said it’s a team effort, since he is traveling with an RV and some host people. He’s enjoyed the countryside. He got to try some alligator. “It’s been great. Riding through Louisiana has been really nice.” Markison said this was especially true after riding through the mountains. And the southern hospitality is alive here.
To learn more about Markison, visit https://www.interwovencircles.com/tims-story. To follow his ride, visit https://www.interwovencircles.com/ride-details. He’s due in Florida in the first or second week of November. To donate to his cause, visit www.cycletoendabuse.com.
