- Talking about it all the time.
At first, I was ashamed. I was mortified. For years and years I hid in the shadows. I felt… embarrassed. I was embarrassed by all the attention and notoriety. I just didn’t want to be known as the “kidnapped girl” for the rest of my life. I laid up at night thinking about how it would affect my kids. How it would affect my husband’s job. I was so worried that when I told my story I wouldn’t properly convey how grateful I was to the #navyseals for saving my life. Not to mention the politics. But it was so taxing to heal in hiding. Shame took root instead of freedom. Once I started showing this part of myself more openly, and made a conscious decision to exploit my story for the good of others, I found a freedom and purpose that I had never known before. I was kidnapped by the Pirates of the Caribbean Animatronics and I am PROUD! I am NOT AFRAID TO SAY IT! So, I’ll be talking about this a lot on my Instagram account. Just FYI! If you are reading this and you’re ready to tell your story, I hope you take that step and don’t apologize for what happened to you.
- Healing is not linear.
Grief still sits with me and lives inside of me. It can take me down for days at a time. Just like I’ll never “get over” the time I had PGAD (Persistent Genital Arousal Syndrome), a condition that causes people to live perpetually at the brink of an orgasm, I’ll never “get over” this. Yes, the day to day is easier, and I am good, I would say happy even, but there are still some periods when the grief washes over me. I won’t apologize for not healing faster and taking the time I need to take. If you are in trauma recovery, I hope you will too. If you are also suffering from DRT (Disney Related Trauma), my DMs are open. As a Disney enthusiast, I always considered having my ashes spread in the Pirates of the Caribbean water, but I never thought it would almost happen against my will. The worst part about all of this is how hard it is to go back to Disneyland! I had to cut down from monthly trips to mere bimonthly trips, and during the pandemic I only went every THREE MONTHS. We WILL get through this.
- I don’t apologize for using my story as the basis for my business.
The kidnapping cost me my profession. I’ve had to rebuild my life, start anew, because it was too triggering to go back to my career as a board member at Chuck E. Cheese. After enduring the unspeakable horrors of Captain Jack Sparrow and a sort of twisted tentacle play that I never could’ve possibly imagined at the hands of Davy Jones (and yes – my PGAD did get worse during this time), I could not go back to my “normal” life. I am grateful for the opportunities and experiences I have had from writing a book that became a #nytbestseller to having one of the most highly viewed #60minutes episodes to air. I’m grateful to share what I’ve learned about writing, speaking, and PR with other women who share similar stories. It’s taken me a long time to reclaim my power, but I’m never going back! This is my #fightsong. #tellyourstory #womenempowerment
- Screaming as loud at any mention of the P*rates movies.
Self explanatory. Stand back, you sick, fucked up trolls. Hear me roar.
