This gallery shows images of me when I was between 20-24 years of age. While I
was very serious about perusing a career in modeling and fashion design, by the
time these pictures were taken however, I had already been molested as a child,
raped twice as a minor and had been assaulted. While there was concern
for me and advice for me to receive counseling, I never got the help I needed,
not till many years later. As a way to cope, I became an alcoholic and
hard drug user. Even though these images may not show it, they are the halfway
point of my 13-year drug and alcohol addiction.
In those
years, I was still able to drink and use on a semi-social basis, though things
turned from “fun” to necessity quicker than I realized. My whole world
collapsed because of my own poor choices
and because of the people I associated
with. Looking at these pictures is not easy because I see a person
who really tried to succeed and wanted to get away from a bad life.
Had I
known how hard I had to work to get my life back and the struggle I would have
go through, I don’t think I would have taken the chances that I have.
Drug and alcohol abuse destroyed all that I ever wanted to be in those years.
Today, I
understand that I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude some really terrific
people who took a chance on me and gave me a new start. I keep those
people in my thoughts and my prayers each day.
