LORI FOROOZANDEH
- Survivor -
G'day guys,
Sometimes I interview certain people with what I call 'Twenty Questions'. They are personal and riveting questions. Today I feature someone who has been brutally honest in her answers - Lori Foroozandeh. Welcome, Lori ...
http://www.loris-song.com/ (WEBSITE)
https://twitter.com/Loris_Song (TWITTER)
Clancy's comment: I'd encourage anyone to read Lori's book. Lori, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed and ... for being so frank. Admire your spirit and determination. Glad you are now in a good place.
Tell us a little about you and where you originally came from.
My name is Lori
Foroozandeh and my life started out with physical abuse at 6 months old
to the point of being taken away from my parents. When my adoptive
family took me they told me I had cigarette burns all over my body, and sores
on my butt from never getting my diaper changed. Wait it gets better from
here:
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At 11 I was molested by my adoptive brother.
§
At 18 I had my first child, enlisted in the
army and married my recruiter.
§
Went AWOL from the army due to my husband
ran off with another woman and took my son.
§
Soon after this I became a truck driver to
stay mobile so the MP’s wouldn’t catch me for being AWOL.
§
At 27 I met and eventually married a Middle
Eastern man who turned out to be a terrorist and took me to Iran and wouldn’t
let me return to the USA.
§
The day after 911 I was put into a POW type
camp in the middle of nowhere, Iran. I was tortured, beaten and raped for
six weeks. Eventually escaped and got back to the USA.
§
Other than that I’m originally from Jackson,
Michigan and went to school at Napoleon where I never graduated due to
emancipating myself from my family at age 15 to get married so I could escape
getting molested by my brother.
What was the happiest moment of your life?
Stepping back on USA soil when I
was flown home from the Middle East. You
never know how much you take something for granted or don’t appreciate it until
you’ve lost it. I’ve discovered the true
meaning to “LAND OF THE FREE”.
What was the saddest moment?
There were a lot, but I guess when this young
girl Nasreen (in the POW type camp) was given an overdose of heroin into her
gums when the guards used it to keep us quiet when they came to rape us. She knew she was dying and gave me her
ring. She passed it down to get it to me. It wasn’t
anything expensive, but I guard it like Brinks does their money. That ring means the world to me.
What surprised you most?
That the Middle East was as still
barbaric as people always heard it was.
I was told by my husband that the country (IRAN) was way more modern and
they don’t treat women like they used to.
One of the first things I saw was a man slapping a woman because she
wasn’t walking far enough behind him. I
also saw women get hung.
What was your greatest disappointment?
Not meeting the man I’m with now sooner.
He is the kindest,
caring, loving man I’ve ever met in my life!!!! I love him with all my heart!
Who did you misjudge? Why?
My ex-husband, Mohammad. I thought he was a loving caring man, but
changed totally when we got to Iran. The
first time he said he had to beat me up to show that he was the head of the
household in Iran or his family wouldn’t respect him anymore was the first time
I became literally scared to be around him.
What or who was your biggest challenge?
My son Douglas. He was the smartest, most convincing boy I’ve
ever seen. He could talk you out of your
raincoat in a hailstorm. I love him
unconditionally, and have finally realized that maybe he got that way from
example … me.
What has been your biggest regret?
Not being able to go back into Nursing. I have my Masters Degree, and when I got back
from Iran I had too many head injuries amongst other things that my memory was
shot, and I’m now on disability.
What would be your dying comment? Why?
I
still weigh too much to fit into my funeral clothes, damn that Ice cream I ate
every night. Why didn’t the bed aerobics
I did help???
Who or what stunned you the most?
That they still do honour killings
in Iran. My English student, Layla, was
drowned in her father’s swimming pool for not being a virgin on her wedding
night. I quit teaching after I found
that out.
What would you like written on your tombstone? Why?
“I DID THE BEST THAT I COULD”
Who would you rather have not met? Why?
Mohammad and for the
obvious reasons. He took me to Iran, he
was not the person I thought he was, and he almost caused me to die.
Who were you most envious of? Why?
Any girl in a size 4, because the
only time I’ve ever been skinny was when I returned from Iran and had been
starved in that camp, I weighed 70 pounds, and looked like crap but put the
weight on so fast that I forgot to enjoy the size 4 when it came around.
Who did you forgive – for doing something you never thought
you’d forgive?
My mother, for being so
cruel to my dad and keeping our family distant from one another.
What was your greatest moment in your life?
When my son, Douglas, was born in
1983, I remember even his crying and fussing sounded cute.
What is your greatest achievement?
My son, and graduating college.
What personal traits would you like to have in your next life?
Discipline, patience, health.
What advice would you give to world leaders?
Life is too short, we all are in it
for the long haul, just TRY TO GET ALONG and see what happens, you’ve tried
everything else. But everyone is too
suspicious of one another so it will never happen. Even if the offer was there,
someone wouldn’t take it sincerely because there is so much manipulation and
greed within the govt. Not just monetary
greed but the need to be recognized. But they don’t realize that HEROES, true
Heroes, are people you rarely hear anything about, because they are just that
and not newsmongers.
What advice would you give to parents today?
You can’t give parents real advice
nowadays, because what REALLY WORKED when I was little they would get
blackmailed by their children to turn them into DHS if they did it now. There is nothing wrong with a spanking, or
taking away cell phones or better yet, not allowing them to have them until they
are 15 and can pay for them now. I read
today that :
“WHAT THEY CALL BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS
NOW IS WHAT THEY CALLED BEING A BRAT BACK IN MY DAY!"
Who would you choose to be stuck on a desert island with?
My babycakes (B/F John).
Have any heroes? Who?
President Lincoln. He took a stand for what was RIGHT in many
ways, and Diane Fossey. Her love for animals and her ability to communicate with
the gorillas … just AMAZING!
What are the greatest legacies you will leave behind?
My SON, and the love I have for John.
What’s lacking in the world today?
TRUE LOVE, Peace, the ability to be
honest with someone. Listeners - we have
enough talkers we need listeners.
Any pearls of wisdom for the rest of us?
You have two choices in life, LIVE
IT or EXIST IN IT…I choose to live it.
Generally, is your glass half full or half empty?
Depends on the day and the weather and how
much is left on my credit card (available funds).
Got any good news?
Yes, I’m being featured
on your blog. Thank you for your questions, and I hope I’ve been
insightful. I guarantee if you read my
book you will be inspired and motivated to LIVE LIFE!
http://www.loris-song.com/ (WEBSITE)
http://lorissong.com (BLOG)
https://twitter.com/Loris_Song (TWITTER)
Clancy's comment: I'd encourage anyone to read Lori's book. Lori, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed and ... for being so frank. Admire your spirit and determination. Glad you are now in a good place.
Love ya work!
I'm ...
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