Who is This Gate Lady Photographer?

Who is the gate photographer, this gate lady? How did my “previous life” propel me into what ended up being the discovery of my gates? To answer these question is to describe what my previous life looked like.

In my prior life, I was tremendously unhappy, yet I put my bright face forward, not letting others know I was aching inside. However, I was doing nothing to claim my own unhappiness.

I was in a dissatisfying marriage, one I was afraid to leave for fear of being on my own. I was in a job where the requirements were against my values and it made me very uncomfortable. And I didn’t like myself, yet, didn’t know that at the time. I had issues from my childhood, as did many of us. To handle all of this, I was drinking heavily. Of course, I’d been drinking heavily for a long time, having started in 1975.

In late 1999, I developed feelings for another man and believed he reciprocated those feelings. I left my marriage in June 2000, only to find out the man did not share them. I was devastated. My drinking escalated as did depression. I was unable to do anything but drink or cry for the next three months. I was unable to function with daily activities.

After that three months, I continued journaling. I actually had started journaling when I first developed feelings for the other man. As I was increasingly unable to focus on work, I quit my job in January 2001 because I had decided to go on a road trip.

Before I went, however, I discovered my gates. The discovery of the gates became an incredible stepping stone to where I am today. I tell that tale starting with my first post, Why I Photograph Gates.

I left for San Diego after discovering my gates, the first stop on my road trip. I was planning on getting sober with a friend. One day she suggested we attend a support group that could help us. Being open to everything that came across my path, I agreed.

Thus began the new life for me. Although I have experienced many situations during my sobriety, my story is really about what it’s like to show up for life, to be present and take action as a sober person, in a loving manner. My gates have been instrumental in getting me to where I am today, a life lived in peace and joy.

My first post, Why I Photograph Gates, begins the story of the birth of the book. My posts also describe my birth into a new life, as my journey described in my book is also my journey in sobriety.