My Two-Year LA Anniversary is this month. Someone asked if that was a big deal, I didn’t hesitate. It IS a big deal.
January has been quite the month of reflection for me. When I think back to two years ago, I remember I had locked myself in a bedroom for 3 days for fear that a man who claimed to care for me, would physically hurt me. The emotional and financial damage had already been done.
Two years ago I didn’t have cell service or a working car. Two years ago, I had late payments due on all of my bills and a foggy memory of the last time I had performed stand up comedy. I had no idea when or how I was going to get to my dream of moving to Los Angeles to pursue stand up comedy. Two years ago...I was dealing with this.
I’m resourceful and recognized what I did have...friends. I leveraged the power of social media to send out an SOS to get me out of danger. I posted that I needed help and the encouragement poured in. Friends, family, and even fans I didn’t know offered their airline miles, small amounts via PayPal, and one even called relatives near me to come and get me.
Luckily, I got out. Not untouched...but I got out.
Looking back on being in LA for two years: I’ve managed to do quite a bit. I’m proud of the places I’ve been, people I’ve met, stages I’ve told jokes on, the progress, the hard work and the memories I’ve made. I’m even proud to tell the story of how I am a domestic abuse survivor, because not everyone is so lucky. I am not so ashamed anymore to tell the story of locking myself in a bedroom for 3 days...because it just makes the last two years more impressive. To me at least.
So, is a Two-Year-Anniversary of moving to Los Angeles a big deal? It is to me...until it’s been three.
I chose Alanis Morissette's "Thank You" because I am grateful to those people who reached out, those who still do, anyone who will listen to me try tomake sense of it all, and continue to cheer me on. Thank you.
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