I am proud to be a woman. I have been told by many that I am not a typical woman. I straddle several different worlds. My nine-to-five job is in property maintenance. I work at The Palms, a sprawling 408-unit apartment complex in Charleston, SC, built in the ’50s. I flip vacant apartments. I do cosmetic upgrades and fix anything that needs it in each unit. I also respond to service calls for residents and keep our grounds and common areas in good condition. Evenings and weekends I jump between being a photography and art model as well as a band mascot to lend my support to the local music scene. I am not an idle woman. I dedicate most of my time working or on artistic endeavors.
I can remember being a little girl and flipping through the book “How It Works.” I was fascinated to learn how things around me worked. I wanted to understand how electricity worked. I wanted to know how a toilet flushed and where the water went. I was interested in how furniture was put together and how my refrigerator kept milk cold. At 20, I purchased the book “Home Repair and Remodeling for Dummies” as well as my first home. It was an all-brick, arts and crafts style, five bedroom home in Baltimore, Maryland. It was rundown and neglected both inside and out. After three years of fixing it up around my work schedule I sold it for three times what I paid for it. The experience, although exhausting, filled me with joy and pride. I returned an old house to her former beauty and got paid. A passion was born.
Now, years later, as a property maintenance technician I work on a beautiful property and am learning even more. This job has exposed me to HVAC repair, plumbing and appliance repair as well as is strengthening my electrical skills. I want to keep growing in my career. I feel driven to push myself harder and always learn more. I want to be the best I can be. There are so many job opportunities in this line of work. I love what I do and I work with a fantastic group of guys. The best part is that I feel valued by the community I serve. Every day, I get to make a positive difference.
I started modeling at 32. I was scouted in a bar and asked to participate in a group shoot. I didn’t really love it at first, but I met a few photographers and made friends. I owe my entire modeling career to a photographer named Michelle Messing (who took the photo you see in the frame above). She befriended me, taught me and guided me into a whole new world. I am grateful for her guidance but most importantly her friendship. I have now been published several times, including in the magazine you are reading. Sketches of me hang in a gallery in Spain. I have had the honor to pose with and for people more talented than I will ever be. Much like I love giving back to the community I work for, I also love giving back to the local artistic community. This has allowed my artistic side to be nurtured and, in turn, nurture others. It also got me involved in being a mascot for local bands. I either dress as or somehow wear their logo and do promotional work. I donate my time to model for promotional shots or I help with their shows. I am currently working with two bands, Anergy and Circus Fire. Anergy has a punk/grunge sound and Circus Fire is all rock. They are all great guys.
I am grateful that my day job allows me to feed my passion for fixing stuff, but I am equally grateful that my life provides the opportunity to express my artistic side. At times, I feel overwhelmed by balancing these two parts of myself. As my role model Ron Swanson (a character from the show “Parks and Recreation”) once said: “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.” Someday, I will find the time to balance all my joys. I am proud to be a woman. When people tell me I’m not a typical woman I have to disagree. I may have an atypical day job, but I am, as all women are, a dynamic, multifaceted and passionate person. In that way, I am very much a typical woman.