October 2020 to October 2025 – From Deathbed to Dream Life

In October 2020, I found myself being rather rudely dragged from my bed in Wilmington, North Carolina — where I had, apparently, been slowly dying over the course of the previous six days as my liver shut down — to an ICU bed at the local hospital. I had literally been kicked in the gut!

That’s not the story I’m going to tell today, but I will eventually not only be writing about that day, but about as many of my life’s adventures that led up to it and after in this blog.

So, this is essentially going to be my digital, randomly constructed memoir! Perhaps in the process of telling random stories in individual blog posts that link back to other random stories in other random blog posts, my brain can finally stop rehashing so many past experiences. I’m telling (most) of the stories that I either find funny, were transforming for me, or that I just need to unload. Don’t worry, I won’t name the names. Even if they deserve it. OH! I have a really fun idea…. Nope, ya have to wait!

By now you’re probably thinking I am taking the long way ’round the bend getting through this post! You should spend an hour inside my head! Oi! You’re probably also wondering how I got from that deathbed to living in Portland, Oregon in October 2025. Great question. If you had shown the human I was laying in that hospital bed a video of my life as I write this post, I would have said it was AI. I just couldn’t imagine a life worth living at that point. 

Now, the old me would be “woulda coulda shoulda” questioning why I hadn’t made the move 20 years earlier when I had strongly considered it. But, NO! I’m not doing that anymore! I wasn’t ready then. For whatever reason, I had more lessons to learn. I had more people to meet, inspire, and be inspired by! I had some amazing experiences in those five years. For Heaven’s sake, I got to sing and dance with the Great Patti LaBelle – the single greatest experience of my life – during those years in Wilmington! I wouldn’t trade them and the relationships I experienced along the way for the world. 

Since the turn of the new year, however, I had been especially cognizant of that five year anniversary creeping up. Memories and issues I hadn’t properly chewed and dealt with were resurfacing. My mortality was really staring me in the eyes and it was getting harder to avoid the gaze!

So much had happened in those five years. I’ve had waves of extraordinary happiness. Moments of pure joy! I cried countless tears. I have absolutely loved and been loved. So how could it be possible that I was just as miserable now as I was five years ago when I was praying to die and nearly did? Why did I bother putting in all that excruciating physical work to recover? Struggle so hard to get back on my feet, both literally and financially? At one point, I didn’t think I’d even EVER be able to walk to the bathroom by myself again! I may not exactly be able to run in heels like I used to, but I’m in pretty good shape, all things considered!

Comes June, God brought me a fork. My beautiful mama had decided to sell her three-level townhouse to move into a more practical one-level home.  There’s even a porch with room for a rocker. She and my sibling will know what that means. The rest of you will have to wait for that story.

A lot of consideration went into the decision I made to finally take the leap and move here. I’ve already written about all that in a series of Facebook posts (which I’ll repost and link here when I figure out how to do that). I’m hoping this isn’t a one-night stand and you’ll be back to read more of my journey.

So here it is. October 2025 has finally come. The Late September Dogs have barked. Unlike five years ago or even five months ago, you’ll hopefully be glad to read that I LOVE MY LIFE! I have never been happier. My soul is finally at peace. At least for now! And I’m sure going to do my dandiest to keep it that way – and make it even better!

I hope I’ve whetted your appetite enough to come back for more stories of my incredibly boring life that people keep telling me is inspirational. All I know is that right now, writing about it is making me happier than I’ve ever been. So, regardless of who may be reading, I’ll be writing. 

Please let me know if you’re enjoying it along the way. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I have ADHD and respond well to praise and appreciation. I’ve already told you I’m not spending much time around people. I need the dopamine rush!

If you have anything intelligent to debate, bring it. I love a good debate. If all you have to offer is negativity or hatred, just move along. Ain’t nobody got time for that! This is a hippy-skippy-happy kinda salon and I don’t want you harshing anyone’s mellow! As they say in my beloved N’awlins, “Be Nice or Leave!”

If you decide to come back – hey, it’s cheap and easy entertainment – I’ve got some great stories in mind already. Honestly, I remembered that when I first moved to Wilmington, I didn’t have any friends to tell my stories from the day to, so I created a blog. It was called “Dipped in Southern” and had a pretty decent following. Sadly, I took a job that conflicted with me having such a public profile and I took it down. Come to think of it, if I’d kept writing then . . . STOP IT!

Please come back to Dipped in Chill!. What I’ve learned this past few weeks writing Facebook posts about my trip and other random ramblings is that writing makes me happy. It always has. I truly don’t know why I ever stopped. So telling you these stories is good for my mental health! You WANT me to be mentally healthy, don’t you?

And, finally, somehow, I’m thinking that Oprah was right – “Do what you love and the money will follow”! Maybe writing a little diary about my boring life, that other people find funny, will turn into a way to fund my meager, peaceful life! Thanks for reading….

Be a blessing! Ya hear?

Chilli Pepper Gee

🌶️❤️👠