Inside Gigi's World

I have see-sawed back and forth with how much of my project I should share on my blog. 

I recently learned that if work is already published then the likelihood of it being published in other places—i.e. a magazine, a gallery, a book— are slim to none. And since I have no idea where I want to go infinitely with this project or how I am going to get there, it would probably be smart that I didn’t shoot myself in the foot before I even jump off from the start. 

But my professor—boy, I feel like I talk about my professors a lot lately—thinks that by sharing just a bit I could gain interest in my project. How much do I give away though? 

Here it goes…

I met Kelli over twenty years ago when I was fresh out of high school and I took a job at my local Wal-Mart. She was working the jewelry counter then. Kelli was always happy with a smile on her face. She was a friendly “hello” at the beginning of my shift and a sincere “goodbye” at the end of the end of my shift. 

When I had made the initial post on my social media asking if there would be anyone out there willing to participate, Kelli was one of the firsts to reach out to me and volunteered to take part in my project—I still haven’t thought of a name for this project yet. I should probably do that. As much time as I spent chatting with Kelli at work or when I would see her at the occasional event, I never knew of the personal life struggles that she was dealing with. Kelli’s loved one’s choices have affected her past, present and her future. While there is much heartbreak to her story, there is also hope and fresh starts. Regardless of where Kelli’s journey takes her, she will always be someone’s “favorite bitch.”

Her life, although there were parts that she greatly loved, was not easy. I did not know that until we sat down for her interview. 

You see, if there is one thing I know about the story of addiction it is how every story is so incredibly similar that when you hear someone tell their story for the first time it sounds like you have lived through the same exact thing. However, no matter how similar the story is, they are also very unique and personal and you realize that they are also incredibly different. 

What’s even more incredible to me, is that after all of these years, I fully began to understand what it means when someone says, “you never know what someone else is going through.” How could our stories be so similar, yet neither of us even knew what the other was going through? 

Just as my story has changed drastically over this past year, Kelli’s has changed as well. As she starts to navigate what her new “normal” looks like, I feel honored to be able to watch her new “normal” unfold. I asked her what she was most excited about for this next chapter in her life and she said, “getting the old Kelli back.” 

This is a cherished gift from someone special to Kelli. It is a reminder of everything she once had and everything that has been lost.