Looking back, my time as a stripper in my early twenties was some of the best years of my life. I was a young, single mom desperate to provide for my toddler son. Time and distance from that old story makes it feel OK to talk about now. It was the last thing I'd ever thought I'd do. But I was an actress since I was five, and I love to dance – it was a simple fit. I was a character, and it was a show.
I needed to take care of my toddler boy and be there for him all day. Dancing gave me that opportunity. I could work a few hours at night while he slept and be a stay-at-home mom during the day. It wasn't easy, but it worked. As a young and single mom, it seemed like the only way to make it all work.
I've always been willing to do what I had to do to take care of myself and my kids, no matter what. I've been many things since then – a college student, a journalist, a counselor, a drama teacher, a radio personality, an entrepreneur.
But that's not the point. The point is that I'm still standing, and I'm still telling my story.
And if you're going to listen, I'm going to tell you the whole damn thing. If we're going to tell our stories, we should tell all of them – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
No apologies, no regrets. Just the truth.
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