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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

A New Chapter

So a lot has happened since I wrote a full post. I'll try to fill you in succinctly...

I've been agonizing about how to do Marfa properly in words and I have a lovely essay about my experience in Marfa in the works, but I will agonize over that more later. For now, I have to share just a tiny bit of what I enjoyed while there:

I went to Marfa, Texas during Valentine's weekend and had the time of my life. I haven't been that happy since I was in Poland in the Zakopane mountains and felt like I was in The Sound of Music. It was glorious. Marfa was like this but with so many other dimensions as well. I felt at peace in Poland and I felt at peace in Marfa, Texas. The landscape, the sunsets, the open spaces, the stars, the air, the water- everything was beautiful and exactly what I needed. I was high on life from the day we arrived (Friday) until the day we left (Sunday). I fell in love that weekend. True, real, everlasting, love. I fell in love with Marfa. Sigh...

The people were great. So welcoming and open and creative and awesome. The people that I met that weekend and the friends I made reminded me that true goodness does exist in humanity. I had been discouraged by humanity as of late, but one weekend in Marfa changed my life. I remembered that life is good, that it is worth living, and it is beautiful. Even when it's hard, even when things are going so horribly, even when your closest friends and family let you down, there is still something to live for. It's moments like the ones I experienced in Marfa. It's meeting people that will become friends for life. It's meeting people that inspire you to be a better person, to contribute to the world, to be your best self. I am so thankful and humbled by meeting all of these unique, interesting, scarred, crazy, beautiful, weird, lovely, warm, generous, awkward, country, random, wild people. I love you Marfa. You will always have my heart.

Viva la Marfa!!!

And on to a bit of a sour note...: Some very serious things happened to me in the past year. I was sexually harassed by a member of my church and it has deeply affected me. Before you jump to any conclusions about my intentions, let me just say that I am doing this because I am an empowered person. I can speak about what has happened to me because I have a voice. I am not ashamed. Even more than that I am proud that I am still here- I'm proud that I did not let this ruin my life. I am still fighting, I will continue to fight, and I am not "playing the victim"- I am the victim. Will I be a victim my whole life? No. Am I doing what needs to be done to make sure no one else has to go through this? Hell yes. I am speaking with law enforcement and we'll see what happens...

Through all of this I have learned a lot about sexual harassment. I have learned the different stages a victim goes through. I have learned the hard way that sometimes those closest to you do not react as you would hope. In fact, sometimes they do the exact opposite. Not only do they not support you, but they blame you for what you went through. After going through all the trauma already and all of the horrible emotions and self-loathing that comes with it, I finally decided to tell the two people I thought would certainly be there for me... Sadly they were not. One person even blamed me for what happened and called me a slut. And the other person stood by and let it happen. I can't forgive that right now and I don't know if I ever can. It's horrible. Horrible.

So I realized a few things. I realized that when people continue to disappoint you and make little to no effort to support you when you most need support- it's time to cut ties. I realized many women who experience sexual harassment keep silent for a reason: because most people don't/won't believe them. I realized how isolating it is to be in this situation. I understand now why women blame themselves for these situations. I realize now that many people are numb to the severity of sexual harassment. People would rather not talk about it. They'd rather sweep it under the rug. The more you or I or your friends stay silent, the worse it will be in the future for someone else. I also realized that the few women who make up things like this and lie about it make it worse for those of us who are telling the truth and who are not in any way to blame. And I realized that even when you are completely innocent, people will find a way to blame you indirectly- as if any violation of someone's human rights, is acceptable- for any reason.

So all of this has been really difficult and I only just now started to speak about it. I want to thank my close friends, and even friends I have met recently who have been there for me throughout this whole ordeal. Thank you for listening to me. Thank you for listening to me cry, rant, and scream. Thank you for validating me. For making me realize I am not to blame, that this is not fair for anyone to experience, and that you love me unconditionally and will FIGHT for me no matter what. That means the world to me. My own family has not even expressed this sentiment. So thank you friends-- you know who you are. I love you.

And now for the big announcement:

I'm moving to Los Angeles in August.

I've been thinking about moving for a while but I didn't know where I wanted to go. I wanted to go somewhere completely different where I could pursue all of the things I am interested in- but still stay warm (one day I'll get up the nerve to move to NYC- where I really belong). I can pursue my writing: the screenplays, novels, short stories, articles, essays, etc. I can pursue modeling, singing, acting, styling, make-up, dancing etc. Basically I can pursue all of my talents in a city where people take talent seriously and are about their business. People work there, people get things done, and people don't mess around (too much). I'd rather be near opportunity rather than trying (and failing) to create opportunity in a town where people would rather get high then get anything done.

And I'm moving to get a change of scenery. I need to re-set, re-charge, and be completely on my own. I want to be near the ocean. I want to be away from Austin for a while. But most of all, I want to be away from Texas. I want to get away from all the fucked up racism here. Overt racism, covert racism-- it doesn't matter- it's equally disgusting. All the massive ignorance and backwardness. I know I'll run into a little of this in Cali, but hopefully nowhere near like it is in Texas. I just want to get away. To be around interracial relationships and not get excited. To just be happy because that's how everyone is. I want to get away from all the bad memories here. To get away from the heartbreak- romantic or otherwise. To get away from the past. The bad shit that keeps trying to creep up.

I'm actually in a good place right now. I finally feel comfortable in my own skin. I like who I am- who I've become. I'm excited to see how I will grow and change for the better. I no longer feel guilty for being myself and I'll never be made to feel that way again. As long as I am not doing harm to myself or anyone else, I can do whatever the fuck I want! Yes, I'm crazy. Yes, I'm beautiful. Yes, I'm a creeper. Yes, I'm flawed. Yes, I'm human. =) And I am ready to start a new chapter. I am ready to live my life to the fullest. I will miss Texas. I will miss Austin. But I'll be back.

I only plan to live in L.A. for a year. If I haven't established a career by then I'll leave and come back to Austin or wherever the wind takes me. But I have a feeling with all of the talents and skills I have- there's something that should pop off in L.A. Not sure if I'll live in L.A proper or near one of the beaches. I'd like to live near one of the beaches, but we'll see...

So I'm sure y'all are wondering why I haven't mentioned my health at all in a while. I really don't like talking about it anymore. It doesn't seem like anything is going to help long-term so right now my plan is to just stay healthy, eat healthy, exercise (as much as I can), be around positive people and keep my stress down. And that's what we're all supposed to be doing right? No, my pain hasn't gone down and neither have my other symptoms. It's just as bad as it was. It gets very bad sometimes but I get myself through it somehow. I always do...It's going to be a life-long fight and I'm ready. I can deal with this. If I can deal with all the other horrible shit that has happened, I can deal with a little more. I've come out from all this heinousness and I've realized something. I'm strong. I'm a survivor. And I appreciate life.

Also, I feel like I've had this blog long enough and it has served its purpose. I will be shutting it down very soon and beginning a new one. If you would like the new blog address, send me an email. Thank you for reading. Thank you for commenting. Thank you for not commenting -that's a dig at you losers I've talked to personally who have "checked out the blog" but never commented ;-). Thank you for being you. Thank you for sending positive vibes. Thank you for giving me advice. Thank you for listening.

<3 Grace

Strength

Photography: Charles Divins
Headdress: Susannah Lipsey
Location: Marfa, Texas

Friday, March 12, 2010

Sia

Oh it won't be long. You will grow strong.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Viva la Marfa!

Marfa post coming soon...!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

My Neck Hurts

My neck really hurts. I've been sore and in a lot of pain since Saturday morning. I don't know what I did with my neck, but my neck and I are NOT friends right now.

I am obsessed with LOST right now and can't wait for the premiere on the 2nd! Hopefully I'll have my tv set up by then with cable and all. Or at least an antenna.

Why are people so casual all the time? How come no one ever dresses up anymore? I'm absolutely certain I was born in the wrong era. I belong in the era of hats and tailored suits and pencil skirts, pumps and tight bodices. I'd love to be in the 40s and 50s. But then also I like the 20s and 30s because of the Jazz age. And I would be friends with Josephine Baker. We would have such fun!

Distracting yourself from what is unpleasant in life is every bit as important as finding a solution for your struggles.

<3

Grace

Saturday, January 23, 2010

The Sun is Shining

singing at east side show room tues 1/19

photos by the lovely and talented Danielle Aldana: https://blurredperspectives.deviantart.com/

The Sun is Shining. The sky is blue. The clouds are white. And I love you.

Things are beginning to look up for me! When that happens, I get very nervous that something is going to go massively wrong (it usually does, in my case). To say I'm a pessimist a lot of the time (for entirely justified reasons- thank you very much, you blindly optimistic savages) would be an understatement. I'm so pessimistic when it comes to me and my life but with my friends and their lives, I try to play the optimist as much as possible. No one likes a Debbie Downer right?

I found a job! Yay! A temp agency found this one for me. Ok here's the crappy part, it's at the DPS and I only get paid $10.50/hr. Which is a lot less than the $15 I was getting at the law firm with the insane, creepy, sexual-harassing lawyer who I'm writing a book about and who I will thoroughly embarrass and teach a lesson in my own way (books are the best recourse, not lawsuits). Books last forever, and there is lasting damage. And this creeper deserves lasting damage.

But I digress... I have a job at the DPS, not the one where you get your DL photo done. I work in one of their many office buildings in the Crime Records Department. They deal with sex offenders, police officers, constables, etc. Haha I love how I put those all in one sentence. In general my feeling on law enforcement is: FTP. If you know what that means, then I'm down with you.

So, the positive side? I am soo thankful to have finally found a job. Even though it did take two long months of struggle and having to depend on my parents (which I absolutely ABHOR). Thank you parentals for carrying me yet again. Thank you for being there (in your own way). Thank you to my friends, new and old who have supported me and continue to do so. Thank you to friends I barely know who have come out of the woodwork to give me encouraging words and sit with me and tell me things will be all right. I love you and I am so grateful to you. Without your support, friends, family, randoms, I would be dead right now. Those of you who are close to me know this to be unequivocally true. I love you all.

Now I have to tell you about last night. I was invited to attend the Austonian opening by Stephen Moser- Austin Chronicle fashion columnist and we had a great time at The Phoenix first for a new modeling agency mixer. Then we went to the Austonian, and my has that building have an amazing view! There were all these "important" people there, who I couldn't tell were important because they were dressed so casual (isn't that how it always is?). The ex-mayor Will Wynn was there. Texas Monthly was there. I gave one of the photographers my card and told her I'm a journalist as well. I hope she calls me. Paparazzi was on hand to document Stephen's every move. It was like being a celebrity for a night. Or more like being a groupie for the night. Haha. But I was Stephen's +1. I felt very honored. So we all had a good time. The flowers were amazingly done by the Mandarin Flower Co. run by a family who does flowers for exclusive events. The daughters were lovely, Victoria and Sofia Avila, from Cuernavaca, Mexico.

The point of all this is, I had WAY too much fun last night! I actually had a few drinks, I think 4 or 5 (which I've stopped doing for about 2 months now). And I smoked a couple cigarettes. I always feel so guilty after I smoke. But I love holding it in my hand and it just feels glamorous. I know that's silly. And I danced a lot and went up and down stairs in 5 inch heels and all over downtown and now I'm definitely feeling it. I am so sore. I feel like I pulled my shoulder. I'm in a lot of pain. But I brought this on myself. Exacerbated the pain by trying to have fun. Argh. It's such a struggle. Stay home and be miserable, or go out and be miserable later. I had my icy hot patch on my back and had to wear a vest over my dress so no one would see the patch through it. I also ran out of painkillers and since I have no doctor or health insurance I have to go through community care again and the doctors suck. They won't treat me because I have a chronic issue, not an acute one. All the more reason why I need a PCP (primary care physician- not drugs!!) Argh. Well I'm just glad I got to have a good time last night. I think this updates everything over the past week.

Please comment. It only takes a second. I like to know who is reading. And I appreciate my readers and commenters.

<3 Grace

p.s. my friend Danielle came to my show at East Side Showroom- my first singing gig all by myself!! And she took photos, weathered the horrible service at the restaurant, and even brought me a gift bag filled with practical goodies. A care package to end all care packages. It was packed with ben-gay patches, icy-hot patches, lavender epsom salts, a huge, gorgeous sunflower candle, a lovely card, and a book with words of encouragement. What did I do to deserve this Lord? Thank you so much Danielle. You mean the world to me. <3

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

I Have a Disability

It has taken me a long time to say those words--to properly come to grips with them. Actually it has taken me more than five years to say that with acceptance. I am still angry and sad about it, but it is reality. And in order to move forward, I have to accept it. I, Grace Rogers, who once thought I was all-powerful and could do anything and had no faults or weaknesses, have a disability. That's hard to say. Even now. But I'm saying it.

To give you an idea of how someone with Fibromyalgia normally lives, I will summarize from a pain journal I have begun to keep in order to have enough documentation to get Social Security Disability.

9am-12pm (depending on the day and my doctor's appointments etc.)
-wake up
-hit the snooze button
-start feeling the pain and stiffness
-fall back asleep
-alarm goes off again- hit the snooze as many times as possible, thus ending up late to practically everything
-don't want to get out of bed and face the day now that the pain is getting started

-finally get out of bed
-stiff muscles, joints, usually walk hunched over
-feel like I'm 84 rather than 24
-debate taking hot shower or just slathering on ben-gay. even with a hot shower, which reduces the pain temporarily, the pain immediately comes back as soon as i step out of the warm cocoon of the steamy shower.
-wash face, brush teeth, take shower, etc.
-sometimes put on a therma-care patch or ben-gay patch, but only if the pain is really bad. the patches are expensive, and since i have no job and no health care, and since i'm still borrowing money from my parents (which i view as a failure on my part), i have to use them sparingly. this means sacrificing my comfort so that i can afford food.
-put on clothes. worry about the patch showing through my clothes, or the ben-gay patch showing over my neckline. usually put a scarf on, because i hate the inquiring comments.
-eat something. usually very little. like an apple or banana. sometimes i have gluten-free waffles and a smoothie.

12-5pm
-get on the computer to look for jobs. finds this increasingly depressing. beginning to feel very fatigued, but then again, i'm always tired.
-give up on job-seeking
-give up on seeming happy for friends
-stay home and cry

5-7pm
eat dinner, and watch a movie or tv show (online)

8-10pm
-prepare for bath- this is a long process. First I fill a large stockpot with water and put it on the stove to boil. Then I fill the kettle and and another small pot and wait for them all to boil. Then I turn on the hot water in the tub. I fill it up until it stops being hot enough. I add 3-4 lbs. of epsom salts to the bath as well as essential oils sprinkled on the salts. Then I add the boiling water. I have to struggle to carry the heavy pot and every time I fear I'll trip and burn my entire lower half of my body-but this doesn't stop me. I always boil the water. If the water isn't hot enough, it doesn't touch my muscles as far as soothing them. Then I sit in the bath for 45 min. to an hour. As long as I can take it.

When I get out of the bath, I feel extremely drained, as if I might faint. I haven't fainted yet, but often wonder what fainting feels like, and if I might like it. Although if I were to faint in the tub, I'd drown. Which might be a lovely way to die, with all my bath candles surrounding me and essential oils. But I digress...I get out of the tub, and can barely stand. Usually I sit on the toilet for a while and wait for my heart to stop racing. Then I stand slowly, wrap myself in a towel and throw myself on the bed. I do not wash off the salts. The point is for them to soak through my skin. The next morning I will take a shower and wash off the salt and clean myself.

9-11pm
Now it is time for bed. I pick up my book and read a little (I am currently reading Lady Chatterley's Lover). Then I put on a thermacare patch (if i can afford it) and lay on my tempur pedic pillow (which my dear parents bought for me). Then I try to go to sleep. I am still in a lot of pain. Most times I will take a painkiller before sleep. Or I'll smoke some medicinal green (if you know what I mean). But that's also only if I can afford it. It does help with pain and Texas needs to legalize it for medicinal purposes so I don't have to sneak around like a criminal.

But the next day could be very different. I could be happy, in less pain, and hopeful. But it's a daily roller coaster. Even now I don't have the energy or hope to continue writing. I'll continue my pain diary another day. That's just a glimpse.

Sometimes I write in my journal. Here are a few excerpts from my journal dating back to more than 2 years ago until recently:

October 5, 2007
It's just that no one understands me and it's so hard to get through. To get up every morning is a challenge., Another day of pain. Another day of pretending I'm all right. Wanting so badly to BE all right.

November 25, 2007
I'm so sick of explaining to people what's wrong with me. No one understands. I hate my life. I'm so sick of being in pain all the fucking time. I'm ready to die. I keep getting strange feelings that I'm going to die soon. The other night I had a dream that I got married to someone I didn't love and desperately wanted to get out of it but couldn't.

January 31, 2008
Looking back at my old entries, I surprise even myself at how bitter I sound. And angry. I am so angry though. I'm trying not to be. I am very bad at trying to see the positive. I will try harder."

May 28, 2009 1:13am
I think I should start journaling again, even though it's a painful, tedious process- emotionally and physically. My old entries all made me cry--for different reasons... I'm so tired of being depressed and in pain. Actually, I could deal with being depressed if I wasn't in pain. I hate my life. I HATE my life! I just want to be better already! Nothing is going good for me. Everything is SHIT! I can't write right now because I'm in too much pain. I'll write later. Goodnight World.

May 29, 2009 4:25am
I talked to my dad last night and we both ended up getting frustrated with each other. I love my dad so much though. I really wish he didn't have Parkinson's. I always hoped and prayed that he would never get sick and that I would be the only one in my family with a horrible illness. Seeing him this past weekend at the conference made me want to cry because his tremors are so much worse. His arms and whole torso shake now. It used to be just his legs or feet. Poor daddy. Lord, why are you doing this to him?? And if you aren't doing it, why are you allowing the enemy to do it? My dad doesn't deserve this.

June 5, 2009 3:54am
My mind thinks so much faster than I can write. It's very frustrating because the thoughts race and I have to fight to remember my last thought. The worst is when it happens during a conversation. Brain fog- they call it. I used to be so much smarter...

...Even though I have so much going on right now, I'm still barely breathing--barely hanging on by a thread. The pain is horrible, excruciating, unimaginable. I can't even remember now what I was like before the pain. I don't remember the sensation of no pain at all. I can't wait for that sensation again. I can't wait to die... But what if I have pain when I die? I can't do that. I guess I'll just grit my teeth and suffer through it like I've been doing. Oh Lord! Please take away some of this pain! Obviously you're not going to take all of it, but please take some.

...Okay my neck feels like someone is stabbing, twisting, and stretching my muscles all at the same time. I can't believe I'm not jabbering like some insane animal yet. How long until I can't fake being human and normal anymore? How much longer until people see how tortured and crazy I really am?

...story of my life--death, gloom, despair, anger, resentment, depression, agony, torture...but with fleeting moments of happiness. Very fleeting...when will good things like love, happiness, security, reality, substance, truth, and assurance last? When will anything last? I don't want the world to end without experiencing true, ever-lasting love. I want the REAL things. REAL LOVE.

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE! <3

June 8, 2009 6:32am
Every day I live in suffering. A silent torture chamber is my life. I no longer talk freely about my pain because I fear people don't believe me. If I talk about it too much, people start to believe me less, because I'm doing things like getting out of bed, going out, dressing up, smiling, dancing. These aren't the kinds of things a chronically sick and depressed person is supposed to do. They're supposed to be crying all the time, screaming in pain, and looking generally ill. I hate it when people say, "But you look great!" Oh, the curse of the outward appearance of health, beauty, and general well-being. They have no idea that on the inside I am a decayed, festering wound that never heals--in fact, it just gets worse.

June 18, 2009 3:28am
My head feels like someone is pricking it with needles. Lately I've been having a lot of needle-like pain all over my body. There's still the fire-like pain in the muscles of my back, neck, and shoulders too.

Nov. 7, 2009
I shaved my head. I shaved my head because I'm crazy. Or I'm crazy because I shaved my head. Normal people don't just go shaving their heads. I'm crazy because I'm in pain. Severe, excruciating, why-do-i-bother-living pain. Or I'm in pain because I'm crazy. Who knows? Maybe it's all the possibilities...

Accept help when you need it. Ask for it as well. Let your pride die. Let it die. You talk of wanting to die all the time. You don't want to die. But you have to let the pride die. Let it die. Let the anger, hurt, sadness, memories (bad ones) let it all die. Put them all in a room and give them each a gun and tell them to put it in thier mouths and pull the trigger. Funny how I won't do it myself. I want them to do it. Shifting the responsibility. Always off of me. And equating everything to suicide. I have a sick fascination with suicide. I want to do it so badly sometimes. But as much as I most of the time hate living, I much more abhor the thought of being dead. It's an unknown . An unknown that you can never come back from. It's permanent. And I wouldn't be in control. Control freak grace-that's me.

December 3, 2009
As I came home tonight I saw the framed photo of my sister and I as babies and immediately broke down and cried. Like a baby. Fell to the floor all dramatically and cried my tears all over the kitchen floor (I'm so glad I live alone, so I can cry as much as I want and as loudly as I want without having to stifle sobs in my pillow). Snot running everywhere. And I didn't care. I just bawled and bawled. My sister has a photo of the two of us on her desktop on her computer. I am so proud and happy. I feel like I don't deserve it though. Her love. I feel ashamed sometimes to be around my sister because she's so good and I am so not. Sigh...I love Acacia. She's the best. And I love myself. (I have to keep telling myself that anyway). My hand already hurts. Goodnight.

I want to be hopeful. I want to let go. But it's not that easy. You can't just trick yourself into being happy and okay with being in pain. The pain has to go first. THEN you can be happy. And all zen and pseudo-spiritual and all that blathery bullshit. Let's be practical first and take away this shit pain. Then I'll go on a long spiritual walk to find out what life means. But for now life means hardship, struggle, pain, and sadness. I'm just grateful for the small pockets of happiness and love- through my friends and family and creative interests like music, dance, art, and fashion--they are what keep me seemingly sane. And that will have to suffice for now. A semblance of sanity. A semblance of happiness. A semblance of normalcy.