A Beautiful World, is a gut wrenching true memoir written by Gregg Tyler Milligan. He was raised in Michigan by two alcoholic parents. His mother was extremely violent to her children while her husband was only abusive to her. Gregg had 6 siblings, several of which were half-sisters. They got out of the abusive house as soon as they were able.
Meeting Greg Milligan was a pleasure. We traveled 2 and half-hours to hear him speak. I saw him on the Oprah Winfrey Show and knew that I wanted to meet him. He was violently raped by his mother. For a man to be able to talk about incest is one of the most courageous things that a man to do. Boys are expected to be able to fight off adults, girls are considered more victims because they are females. It is just as damaging to a young boy as it is to a young girl to be molested, by a man or a woman.
If you ever get the honor to meet Greg Milligan, it will be instantly obvious, that he is a kind, loving, and sensitive man with a very gentle spirit. He is soft-spoken and very well educated. He spoke at Siena University, in Adrian, Michigan from where he graduated with honors. It was also the only University that he felt safe to send his only son too, whom also graduated with honors from Siena University,
He talked passionately and with deep emotion about how Siena was the loving safe family that he needed. He admitted to having a nervous breakdown right before graduation. He received counseling from a professor at the university for free. It is obvious that the professors, and all of the staff, family and friends at the talk, loved and respected, and admired Greg.
I had emailed about getting information on Greg’s talk and we were warmly greeted and even referred to by one of the professors as visitors from Indiana. We felt very welcomed and accepted by the other participants. The man that introduced him referred to him as his son. He said that he didn’t know which one of them would start crying first, but if one of them got up to hug the other one, it was because one of them had started to cry.
After speaking he was ready to sign books, which I was one of the first ones in line to buy. I told him that he was very courageous and thanked him for writing the book. I told him that my mother also molested me and he said he was so very sorry that it happened to me too. I told him that I wanted to get him a speaking engagement in our area. He said he would be glad to do that. We gave each other a warm hug.
I am still amazed at what a kind, gentle, man that he is, especially after all that he has been through. His sisters were there. He spoke with love and compassion to and about them. His wife, son and in-laws were also there. He thanked them for welcoming him into their family. He told his wife that he loved her and you could see the love light up in his eyes for her. They were going to run in a 5K run the following morning. He was a track star for Siena University. He is a successful businessman today.
He said he was able to forgive his parents. I asked him during a period of questions and answers, if his mother was still living, he said both of his parents had passed on. I asked him how he felt after they died, and he said with deep emotion, “relieved.”
I will do a review of his book, very soon. I read it from cover to cover over the weekend. It is really hard to put down, in spite of the horrific abuse that Greg and his siblings went through. They championed and overcome the obstacles of the horrors that they survived.
http://www.abeautifulwrld.com/#speaking
