Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another episode of Couple of Nukes. As always, I'm your host, Mr. Whiskey, and recently, as in the recording world, I exist in a recording world, so it was recently for me, uh, but for you, the listener, The episode I'm about to talk about was many weeks ago. It was called the chances we take in life from lawyer to gambler to pastor.
And it highlighted how some people, you know, their life transition can be crazy. They go through a couple of different careers. And, uh, we talk about how God calls. Interesting people to the faith and today we have from bartender to none to podcaster. I suppose podcast guest. And so it's interesting to see where life takes us and who we were before the faith and who we are during and after, whether you stick with it or not.
And so. Ms. Gina Incompelopoulos, we are so glad to have you here. Like I mentioned, a, a nun at one point, so definitely interesting to have you here on the show. I think there are some of us in the world who have never encountered one, had a conversation with one. So ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't met a nun in person, we have one here, former nun, but she's going to tell us a little bit about the lifestyle, some of the good, some of the bad.
And, um, ultimately her decision to. Go in and to get out. And I think it's something that will be good for a lot of the young women here to here and for the young men as well. And we're going to talk about some of the other positions. That Gina has had in life that are pretty interesting. So Gina, would you please go ahead and introduce yourself for us?
Wow. Thank you. Mr. Whiskey. I love that introduction. Uh, uh, yes. My name is Gina economists and I was former none down in the South Bronx in New York for 12 years. Uh, a Franciscan. I was a Franciscan nun and the Franciscan, uh, religious order. So, yeah, yeah. Nah, I think you just took it a whole nother level of shock when you said the Bronx, you know, I think we were thinking somewhere quiet and in like a field and there's a stone church.
Not only from bartender to none, but now from, from Bronx, you know, most people, when they think of the city, they don't think of, you know, that kind of like, they know there's some big churches there, right. But they don't think of something so traditional and formal like that. So I know I mentioned that you were a bartender kind of tell us about your life growing up in, in those younger years when you were a bartender prior.
To the whole faith journey, faith. Yes. Be my pleasure. Um, I was raised in New York. I'm a Long Island girl, uh, from, uh, I have eight, seven siblings, one of eight, my parents, Italian and Greek. We, we were raised in the Catholic church, went to catechism, et cetera, you know, it's, you know, everything church every Sunday.
And, uh, and of course, as a kid being the seventh child, I had a lot of, uh, Physical problems, limitations, born with, um, extra bone, had many surgeries, et cetera. And, uh, and I felt sorry for myself as a kid. I was very insecure. I was a kid that was insecure. I did not have confidence in me. Uh, I was very afraid.
Um, and so I didn't like myself growing up. But anyhow, um, with my siblings, so here I am one of eight. Seven siblings are athletic, you know, popular. And then there was me, Gina, that, uh, couldn't, like I said, I was physically limited, so I wasn't able to be athletic. I just held the name Economopolis because, you know, all my siblings are older than, you know, older than me, uh, Economopolis.
Nope. Nope. It's just me, you know, I, so anyhow, I, I kind of grew up with, you know, And my parents were very loving. My family was very loving, but I just, I built this false identity within myself. And then as a kid, I was like searching to be loved, searching to be accepted. So, you know, hanging out at the popular crowd or drinking and the smoking, whatever may be, and, um, and that, and that's how I was.
I was trying, I was a people pleaser, but as time went on, you know, I graduated from high school. I went to college and I chose to go to, I went to a small college to have fun because I figured that's what life is all about is to have fun. And at this point, I stopped going to church because I'm in college.
At this point, I was drinking. I was partying, you know, every, every college student parties and, uh, and then, um, yeah, but I graduated my, I did graduate. Yes. And I, and I got a degree of, of, uh, social work sociology. So, because, uh, By nature, I have a heart of service. I like to help. I like to give, you know, that's just me.
That's just by nature. My, my heart. Um, so after graduation, at this point, my parents retired from New York and moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. So, I went out there and here I was, uh. I was kind of lost because I was outside my college life, you know, going living with my parents. 21, was it 21, 22 years old.
And so that's where I thought I could use my degree as a social worker. And plus, I was a pool shark. I developed of being a pool shark in college. So with those two degrees, I became a bartender. That's how I became, you know, it was easy money. I felt like, um, people would, you know, tell me their problems.
Oh, I could listen. I'm a good listener, share my thoughts and then leave. And I don't have to deal with paperwork and because I was an easy per. I don't want to deal with paperwork. I don't want to deal with office of papers. So I continue. I was a bartender for about 2, 3 years, making money simple. And then I'm like, say, I got an idea.
I want to be on a cruise cruise director, like, on you're probably too young. I mean, yeah, the love boat. Back then there was the love boat, which was a TV show. It was like, yeah, that, that's my, that's my, uh, expertise. You know, I could be a bartender. I could be a Julie McCoy, you know, I could do whatever.
Yeah. So that was my, uh, escape route, you know, of life. I really didn't, I didn't have a boyfriend. I didn't have, you know, I didn't have really anything, but I was living under with my parents, which was, was a gift. But during that time, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. I was 23 years old, bone cancer, and I had a younger brother.
And, uh, he went off to college, mom was diagnosed, so Gina was around, all the other siblings were married, or they were all married, had kids, jobs and everything, and, uh, so I took care of my mom with the help of my dad. And I mean, it was a gift. But at the same time, it was like, look at me again. You know, Gina could never get a break in life.
You know, this is this. Don't have a boyfriend. Don't have this. I felt ugly or everything. And, uh, and and I was even like, 22 years old and you would think 1 would like yourself by that time. But I didn't, you know, I did it. So. So I bartended took care of my mom. But my mom, like I was terminally ill and she died in 5 months.
So she died of 1992 and and that's where I would say my spiritual journey began with my, with my mom's death after, after she died, everyone kept saying she's with. God, she's with this God person. And, uh, and so in a way, that's, that's how I went back to my church. You know, I, I received the resurrection of Jesus through my mom's death, which.
So I came back to the church, and when I did come back to the church, I went from drinking, bartending, to being like a holy roller, praying the rosary every day, um, I didn't, you know, I stopped bartending, you know, everybody, you know, I was just, uh, you know, going to church every day, et cetera, and all that, and then, and then in that, I decided to become a nun.
So that's when I joined the convent in 1997. I joined the convent in the Bronx in Franciscan. And yes, I lived in the poor area because Franciscans are austere, simple people. Right, just people, so we lived in the port area. So of the Bronx and it was my 1st time, even though I was from Long Island, it was my 1st experience living in the city quite the transition.
Yes, because we were told, you know, city's bad. The Bronx is bad. We didn't have to go. That's for my parents. So we didn't go. But here, behold, I lived in the South Bronx of the of the worst of the neighborhoods.
So what exactly was that push to go? You know, the, the full way with, uh, being a nun, because I know you're talking about, you kind of rediscovered the church, you know, trying to find some answers about, you know, life and death and all of that. And I mean, what, what really, because it sounded like it improved your life.
Did you feel like it was going to improve your life even more if you went full way with it, or what was that push? I was among, because like I said, I was about 22, 23, living a life of Bartending, whatever you want to call it. And then all of a sudden, I'm hanging out with young people who love God, love Jesus, love the church, and, and they're either going to become a priest or a sister, or they're going to get married and have eight kids.
So it was like, you know, in the Catholic world, this was like, you know, part of the Catholic work. So that's how I had, um, When I was sort of like coming back into the church, I ended up going to World Youth Day in Denver in 1993, and I went with these Franciscan sisters. As well as friars and all I kept thinking, wow, look at these young people that love God, you know, they were young and, and, you know, then that's what we call a vocation, a calling.
And I was like, yeah, I like to be 1. Meanwhile, I still I wanted to be married and have 8 kids, but I'm like, oh, maybe and then and that's where discernment came in and. And, uh, prayer and, and, you know, asking God direct me going on retreats, talking to other people. So, so, but then in hindsight, I mean, I look and that's where I was in hindsight to join.
Uh, I mean, and that's and I can't change that, but maybe, maybe if I was in a different set of mine, because. I had lost my mom. So, like, and like I said, my whole life, I was searching for some love and acceptance and and they all love me because how can you not? I'm Jeannie kind of hopeless. You know, that's I mean, I have a personality.
Plus, everybody can't say no to Gina. You know, now I'm a sister. And I, and I love to be an assistant because I, like, I love serving. I love helping with the poor, you know, hands on, um, and, uh, and I love prayer. I, you know, I develop a relationship with God. I mean, I married him cause I made final vows, but, um, so did I answer that question of me pushing?
That's how I got pushed in. Just to clarify, I mean, in a way, do you feel like you. Overly idolized the lifestyle and the life of a nun just because of what you had experienced so far. I back then, yes, I, I was just looking for the meaning of life. Okay. I was looking for the meaning of life. And, you know, here I thought it was in the bars.
And then, yeah, I could say that now. Well, you're saying you were looking for the meaning of life through this sisterhood. So we have to ask, did you find it? Did you find it there? Uh, no, and the actual meaning, you know, to me, what I, uh, what I want in the meaning of life is finding that peace and serenity within that purpose within.
So at that point, uh, I found some peace. I found some serenity, but I didn't find the meaning. Uh, I endured a lot of pain and suffering as well as joys. You know, I would, there were, uh, I'm not saying it was all bad because there were blessings, but in hindsight, it was sort of like a dysfunctional community.
And, um, if you know anything about dysfunctional people, I mean, it's just hard to live or hard to be part of. But, but once again, Mr. Whiskey back then, I didn't know that, you know, I was sort of like. I still, uh, I could remember I was still feeling insecure with myself, even though I had a habit on, even though I would say, God loves you.
God loves you. God loves me. But there was still that insecurity within me. There was that fear base within me that I just wanted to fill and wanted to fill and being in the convent. Uh, like I said, there was a lot of blessings I could share, you know, of traveling and other people. But for some reason I just, I experienced a lot of, uh, pain, uh, a lot of suffering.
Towards the end. I was sort of like, just kind of searching or with, even within the, uh, the convent, it was just, it, it wasn't unhealthy. It was an unhealthy situation. And is that what caused you to ultimately make the decision to leave? Yes. Yes, that was, uh, uh, yes, that was, that was the, it wasn't my decision.
It was, it was a mutual decision of the other sisters, but to be honest with you, Mr. Whiskey and, uh, and I read, I wrote my memoir about all of this. So there's a lot in it, in my book about my, my experience. And, uh, I really, uh, for me personally, I felt, and I could say it now, I was emotionally abused and, uh, and then I also felt that I was, I don't know if you ever had this feeling like you, you get, you get, you do so much and you get pushed to the wall and you can't go anywhere and you're like, okay, you know, I, because I did, I tried to, I did everything I could try to stay there.
Uh, I was in final vows. And, um, and the last two years of my religious life was pure hell. I'm sorry. I mean, it's, it was just not, I understand what you're saying, but I mean, hell is hell. And, and I did, I experienced, uh, hell many times in my life. I would say and, um, and being even as a sister and, and questioning God and questioning, you know, God, you, you called me to be a sister.
Now you, you don't want me to be a sister. Because in the Catholic church being in religious life, it's sort of like a high rank , you know, it's like up there, like there it is up there and, but yet, um, so, so I, I was crushed. I was crushed. My personality was crushed when I left, uh, my whole life. I didn't know how to live.
I didn't know how to, uh, yeah, I was a sister for 12 years. And, and in those 12 years, it was my, I was in my 30s. So I left when I was 42. So it's like I was lost. I was totally lost. And then plus, Like I share with you as a Franciscan, we slept on the floor. We lived on divine providence. We didn't have, we didn't have, we had one habit.
I didn't have show my hair, you know, it was like, uh, yeah, yeah. So we lived a simple life, which I liked. I don't have no complaints to living a simple life today. Even today, there, there is great joy and humility and, and, you know, Helping others. And what I will say is of course, ladies and gentlemen, we're not here to, to bash on nuns or that lifestyle, right?
Gina's personal experience is her personal experience and it's real, right? I mean, that's her truth and it happened and it's the truth and you know, it's not going to be everyone's situation. It's going to be different for everyone. So please don't think that we're just here bashing on it, you know, and like Gina said, there was plenty of good that came with it too.
And that's with anything in life, there's going to be the ups and downs, the ebbs and flows. What I want to share is a quote that I saw just the other night, Proverbs 19, 21. Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. And I love that quote because human beings are thinkers, creators, planners, uh, and we often, um, Make up our own theories about life and what we're supposed to do or what we think God is calling us to do.
And what I want to say that you, you talked about that question, God, I thought you called me to be a nun. Why is this happening? And there are so many people listening right now and out there who are in a job, a lifestyle, some kind of situation that contradicts what they thought God wanted for them. Uh, we all have ideas of what What we think God wants for us, and of course, what He wants for us might be different.
I think it's important that we think about, you know, when we make these theories, these plans, these ideas, we always think in such a permanent sense and not temporary. You know, we think that, oh, God is calling us to this thing and that's going to be for life. You know, I'm going to be a podcaster for this many years or forever.
I'm going to be a firefighter, a nun, whatever it may be, right? I think it's important to remember that sometimes God calls us not to a lifestyle Or a career necessarily for that lifestyle or career, but to meet certain people to experience certain events, you know, sometimes it's never about the actual job or place, which seems crazy, uh, but there's so much more I love in the book of Joe, in the book of Jonah.
especially in the book of Job, God goes into just a glimmer of how complex this whole world is. You know, he names a couple things, some animals, some plants, some, you know, uh, cosmic events, and he goes, tell me about them, Job. You know, and Job, of course, is sitting there like, You know, because this world is so complicated, whether you believe in God or not, that's a fact.
The world is complicated. I mean, if you, you could put on a nature documentary right now, and they could show you a bug, a leaf, you know, some sea creature. There's so much to it. You know that you can't even imagine now when you do it with human beings who make all these decisions and have all these thoughts in their head and they're all different, it gets even more complicated.
And so there's so much more to life than than we think. And we like to put things in neat boxes that are like, all right, none encompasses. X, Y, and Z. And I'm going to be X, Y, and Z. Uh, but there's so much more to it. There's also A, B, C, D, E and everything through there. So I think that's really important to know.
And I think it's good to not always restrict ourselves to one thing or another because we think that's what God wants. I think it's important to be fluid. And as you mentioned, uh, pray about it and seek guidance. So, uh, Moving along, you left, you know, the life as a nun, you hadn't really found what you were searching for.
So where does your journey from leaving the lifestyle of a nun bring you next? Well, before that, I do like what you said, because I'm not here to badger the nunnery or the sisterhood. And it truly is my experience. And I would like to also say, I know God is working here because that proverb. That you just shared.
I'm putting it on my Instagram tomorrow. The same one. Amen. And I'm thinking, how does he know? Right? Because it applies to me and applies to my memoir too. So that's, uh, but anyhow, needless to say now, where did I go after the sisterhood? I am like, I was lost because I didn't know how to live life. I was still, I still had my faith that he still was in the Catholic Church.
You know, I was still praying. I said, okay, you know, God, you're with me. You're with me. And, uh, and then I lived with men with disabilities, autism, autism, adult men. So that was like my transition time to learn. Uh, so I learned. Uh, and, and they were just, and I also needed a place to be healed because I was so broken and, uh, and, you know, when you live with down syndrome and, and autistic, they're very loving.
And so for 2 years, I had adjusted myself to life. And, uh, and then at the end of those two years, so it was probably like 2010, I was kind of tired of, um, serving. Like, I was tired of, of reaching out. I, altogether, it was like, by that time, it was like, 20 years of just, Reaching out like as a nun, you know, I worked with the games, the youth, the elderly, the dying and everything you name it.
So, so I wanted to do what Gina wanted to do. And what did Gina wanted to do is that she wanted to come and live by the beach because I grew up on Long Island. So I came to the Jersey Shore. Came to the beach first time renting apartment in my 40s, didn't know how to do it. And, and then I needed a job.
And so what did I do? Two things I knew how to do was sisterhood and bartending. So I went back to bartending. I was like, I, I just was, you know, Mr. Whiskey was really a journey of me just looking and searching for that purpose. Because I did think. I was gonna, you know, when I gave my life to God that one day, you know, uh, marriage and all this is it my whole life.
But I I, I didn't fathom me that, you know, 16 years from the then that I would be here talking to you, sharing my experience and, and being in a much better place with God in a much happier place. 'cause I finally found my purpose. So I did, I came to the Jersey Shore to bartend and, uh. And so I was kind of living the bartend life again.
And a gentleman came in. His name was Danny. And I fell in love with a guy from the bar. But it turned out that he was an alcoholic. So I was like, but he loved me. He loved me. He loved me. And he was, uh, he was a great guy. He, you know, had, he was sober couple times and, and I didn't have any idea about what alcoholism was about.
Right? Not, not, not one idea. Well, I should say I, I thought an alcoholic was a, a guy in a paper bag under the bridge, you know? That's that was just, um, and so, uh, Danny, you know, when he told me he was an alcoholic, I stayed, stayed, tried to fix some codependent, all that good stuff. And, but we fell in love and, uh, and I knew he was sick, but then, um, ultimately he ended up dying from the disease two years later after we met.
So here we go again, you know, it's like, what's my purpose? You know, here. God. And, um, he has a tragic story in itself, uh, but I was in Indiana when it all happened, when he died and, and so I, now at this point, I have to be honest, Mr. Whiskey, God was off my plate because here I kept. You know, hanging on and, and all I kept saying is like, you know, why God?
I said, you know, Danny loved me for me where the sisters love me the way they love pizza. You know, that's my, uh, that's how I felt. I understand what you mean. Yeah. So, um, so I came back to the Jersey shore after Danny died. And now at this point in my life, I was in, A very dark time, complicated grief, uh, anger, um, I wanted to kill myself.
I didn't want to live, I should say. I would never kill myself, but I did not want to live. Um, and then as, um, yeah, I was, it was just very hard for me. It was very, very, very hard. Uh, I didn't, I couldn't understand and then somehow I went into the rooms of AA, uh, Alcoholics Anomalists room, you know, meetings.
I went into a meeting and um, and as time went on, one day at a time, nine months later, I come to realize that I'm an alcoholic. So I go from being a, you know, bartend assistant, bartender, falling in love with alcohol, I And here and I have nine years of sobriety and, uh, but it was a lot of pain and suffering when I first came in, because like I said, when, when I came into the rooms, I, once again, I was searching.
I was now. Why did Danny die? God, why did you do this? And when you go into a meeting, many people are sober. There's a lot of sobriety and people laughing and and I couldn't understand why these people are alive and Danny's dead. You know, I couldn't. I couldn't have no concept. And so as but as time went on, as I sat and listen, I came to realize because a friend of mine.
Said to me, what's your relationship with alcohol? Because, I mean, that's because I was a bartender. But, yeah, alcohol was my best friend growing up. Alcohol was who I went to. He was my comfort zone. Uh, and it comes with, and alcohol, and drinking is like the last of the symptoms. But I had the insecurity, everything, the manipulation, everything.
You know, the, the fear, and the anger. So, but still, What did I do with my pain? I went to alcohol. So when I came into the rooms and said I was an alcoholic, I was like, Oh my God, it was so painful because all the pain that I carried with me throughout my life just opened up. But this time I can't go to a bottle to numb it.
I can't run. I can't escape it. And that's what I was doing my whole life is escaping from Gina escaping from me and then and in that. So when I did say it, I worked the program. I did what I was suggested, got a sponsor, but then when it came to God, which we call higher power in the, in the, in the S. D. S.
12 step program. Uh, I was like, okay, I didn't want to talk to God. I hated God. I really did. And I would say that I hated him with a passion because of everything he's done. And then now I'm an alcoholic. Oh my God. I was like, what more? What more? But yet, Mr. Whiskey, it was the best. life. It was the greatest turning point because, uh, by working a program and having a, uh, I just, I have a new life.
And at first I always said God was on the couch. Not that I didn't believe in him. It was never that I, I stopped believing him. I was just very angry with him. And I would also say as a nun, I married him. And when I left, there So I had every right to be mad, you know, like a husband and wife, uh, when they get upset with each other or when they divorce, you know, that's what I was experiencing, which was another loss in my life.
And, uh, but it was the rooms of AA that saved me. It was the higher power that saved me in a way, because I came back into the rooms. But then as time went on, I was like, oh my God, you're my God. You've been here, you've been with me throughout my whole life. Mm. And you know, not only work in a program, which is a spiritual program, I'm like, my eyes opened and, and I'm just so grateful today.
I, I'm just so, um. filled with God. And granted, I don't go, I don't, I'm not in a church. So, you know, I'm not in a church in a building, but in my heart of hearts, he is, he's there. It's so different as I was, it's different now than I was as a sister. And I'm not regretting anything because that's who I was back then.
I, you know, that's, that's what it was. You know, I knew God loved me, but it's not, The way I am today because I, I, I have that peace and that serenity within me. Like I'm comfortable in my own skin. Um, and that's what I was searching for my whole life is that it was all within me, but it had to go through a lot of, you know, doors and trials and tribulation, whatever it may be.
And so I would say today, like I have the program, which is very, you know, like I shared with you that. God did for me what I couldn't do for myself, and he did. And now, maybe in the last 8 months, I'm getting involved in the scriptures. I do this Bible app, and I just love it. You know, because it's like hand in hand.
But the key thing for me is that I'm alive. I don't take that for granted. And that I am sober. Don't take that for granted. And I have a God in my life. So those are my three things I'm grateful for every morning I wake up to. And everything else is a bonus after that. And there's so much I've learned and so much I'm learning to continue to learn.
In, uh, living life on life's terms, dealing with grief, dealing with pain, because life goes on, because believe it or not, Mr. Whiskey, life goes on with me or without me. I thought it was all about me. I didn't know when it stopped. As most of us do. But when you realize that life goes on, you know, with you, without you, then you, then you, you learn and, uh, and you know, and that's what I do with God now, with the Holy Spirit, just, just with Him, to, He teaches me, shows me how to really live life on life's terms, so, uh, so, did I answer your question?
You, you did, uh, I think that was very beautiful, actually, I think it was, it was great, and I think you mentioned something pretty interesting. That, uh, hasn't been mentioned before on the show. So, I've had a couple alcoholics, a couple, uh, professionals who work with alcoholics on the show, and I'll have those episodes in the description below.
Holding our loved ones accountable, who are addicted to something, you know, actual, People who had gone through it. You were the first to really mention the idea of the alcohol as the last step. The precursor to that is manipulation, trauma, all this other stuff. You know, we've talked about people's personal stories like I'll have below, you know, who needed the alcohol to cope with a traumatic event or to not have social anxiety and stuff, but we've never talked about how um, The alcoholic is formed before the alcohol is introduced.
I think that's really important to know. And I think also you've had that realization, like you never thought or realized you were an alcoholic and then suddenly, boom, you're like, wow. And I think that's the case for a lot of people for a lot of reasons Uh, and as we discussed before on the show self denial being a big one, you know, that could never be me I'm, not like them all of that to a misconception of what an alcoholic is.
I know you made the uh It was almost humorous that you said has it's just a guy with a alcohol in a brown bag under a bridge but um people don't realize The different ways it can manifest in your life or be played out in your life. Everyone's different, right? I've had I had a woman, Jen Ally, on the show who, it was drinking in a closet so no one would know kind of thing.
I've had other people who would place the bottles on their neighbor's fence or dig a hole in the backyard and bury the bottles. I've had people who, you know, thought that just having a couple of drinks before they went out and then drank more, uh, you know, it was just a warm up. It doesn't mean I'm an alcoholic.
I've had people who said I had a stressful day at work and then every day is a stressful day at work. So it's very interesting. Interesting. Uh, what I wanted to touch upon was something that I agree with. Uh, I am a believer and I do work as a virtual preacher. And so the idea and concept that life is a gift, you know, it, it's beautiful.
You can find it, uh, through King David, through Job. And then a quote that, uh, I write about often in my, uh, faith based book that I've been working on. And I've kind of preached about it before on the show. It's a quote that's very difficult to digest for a lot of people and it comes from jeremiah 10 23 I love the book of jeremiah I am an old testament kind of guy Take that as you will some people are going to twist that the wrong way and say that I love judging and killing and all This stuff.
No, I think there's a lot of beautiful stories that can be told and jeremiah said I know lord that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course Um, some translations, you direct her footsteps, you guide her footsteps. But, um, ultimately, all about that lives are not our own. And when you look at life that way, and even if you're not religious, what I've preached before is, well, there are thousands of people who did not wake up today when you did.
You know, there are thousands of people who can't walk today. You know, and I express the importance of not just comparing your life to worse versions of it or negative versions of it, because that's a very negative focus. And that's a very, even though it's optimistic, it's in a negative way. Um, but just being like, that, uh, spirit of appreciation.
That, you know, you woke up, that you have this and that. And like you said, everything else is a, is a bonus. And I really like that. So, I think that's amazing. And I know you touched upon a memoir. And I am, me personally, I am very intrigued by your story, and I hope our listeners are also very intrigued, um, specifically about those years, uh, as a nun, some of the details that might be unexpected, I'm sure a lot of us are curious about the lifestyle in general, and, Your personal encounters with it.
And so I would love for you to share that memoir with us. I know it was just recently published too, which is amazing. Congrats on that. So I'd love for you to share it with us here. Yes. Uh, it was published this past August. It's called shake the dust off your feet and walk as we all know. That's from the Bible.
It's a scripture and it happens to be in my memoir. You could find it on Amazon. Um, It's a story goes in more details of my childhood, which is all good. But the pain sharing that, um, The feelings of growing up and then continuing with my mom's death and continue as a sister, uh, and it's, and, and of course falling in love with an alcoholic and his story became my story and, and how I came into the rooms of AA.
And that's where I found my strength and hope and, uh, the, and life. That's where I, I experienced it. So yes, it's a, it's a short read and it's by the beach. Because I always believe the beach is where heaven and earth meets and that's where I received a lot of healing at the beach and I'm sitting on a bench and and that's also part of my story because the bench I have it in honor of Danny.
Who died as an alcoholic. So I have it, you know, he's on the bench and he happens to be across the benches across the street from the, uh, the AA rooms. So people come and sit on the bench and they notice that an alcoholic have died. And, uh, so yes, it's a, it's a fascinating memoir. I'm very happy with it.
And I mean, that's, I'm here to spread the word. I mean, um, I also learned. That this is God's story, not mine. And God keeps telling me that because I always say I'm not on the tonight show by now. Why not? You know, like I'm not on. I'm not on Oprah Winfrey. Why not? You know, I got a story to tell and, uh, but it's God's story and God will tell it as he sees fit.
You know, like it's like the plan. Remember when you were saying we have these plans and boy, I thought I had these big, you know, I have these plans and we can have those plans, but I leave them with God and God is the result. He's I'm not in the result business. He is. So I let it go. And, and, uh, and so far so good.
And because it's all in God's hand, how can I, how can it not be good? Yeah, I, I agree and I, I had said my background is the beach to match your book cover and I agree that it is where, uh, you know, heaven and earth meet, uh, it is a very beautiful place and what you said is so important and what I just want to encourage everyone listening, ladies and gentlemen, if you are someone who has been pushing off a creative work, whether that's a podcast, a blog, a book, whatever it may be, because you You know, you're like, this isn't a million dollar idea or whatever, uh, like Gina, I believe that my work, uh, will reach the right people at the right time.
I always pray, you know, God, I don't know who this needs to reach, when or where, and, um, you know, I watched a really cool sermon about how God transcends time and space, and one way is, like, through this. This conversation right now could reach someone long after Gina and I have passed away, you know, And so, my point being there, if you have some kind of creative work and you're worried that it's not going to reach the right people at the right time, I assure you, all you have to do is put it out there and it's going to get delivered, right?
It might not be on your time, it's on God's time, you know, His ways, not our ways. And I think that's really beautiful. So, please, don't have a fear, you know, if you have a creative work, And if you think, well, this only, this was really self therapeutic to me, but it might not help other people. Or, this is a work of fiction with some real life thematics to it, but I don't know if it'll reach someone.
I guarantee you, you know, there are so many people in this world, so many unique people. And your story, whether it's your story or encompasses other people, whatever it may be, It can still be related to someone in a way that you would never expect. So I highly encourage y'all to publish and put out whatever it is that you're trying to do.
And in the description below, you will find Gina's book. So be sure to check it out if you're curious or send it to me. To someone who needs it. I know this episode will be coming out around The holiday time right near black friday. So if you want to go ahead and get that as a christmas gift for someone Highly recommend it But it's definitely interesting.
It really is and so gina, I really thank you for coming on and for sharing your story I think is a very unique one and I think it was a very poetic and beautiful one You know a lot of people think that A bad experience with the church or religious organization or someone of the faith is a reason to entirely cut off God or faith.
And, um, I always remind everyone it's so important to determine for yourself how that individual personalized relationship with God and faith, because people and organizations are not perfect, only God is, so. Amen, Mr. Whiskey. And yeah, I just like you encourage people to, um, not to give up. There's always hope.
There's, there's, you know, God is, is greater than us. It's so bigger than us. And, and, and people would say, um, if you don't believe, believe that I believe. You know, that's it. Okay, you don't have to believe, but believe that I believe and, uh, Amen. Yeah, it's it is a faith journey. It's a and I'm just so grateful for being here with you, Mr.
Whiskey and uh, and what a joy it is to share my story. Uh, and it's so true when you write it because I read, I wrote this 10 years ago, really, 10 years ago after Danny died and it was pain, pain. And then from that pain from Danny's death, the sister's pain, it all came out. And then I had to And people are like, Oh, you should publish it because, you know, my mouth was out and, and I couldn't do it because it came from, it would come from a place of anger and resentment.
I wasn't at peace. I wasn't healed. So I put it aside. And then about a year ago, a friend of mine. Uh, said, Oh, let me take a look at her because we were talking. She looked at it and she put it all together. And then she goes, you got to start writing about your recovery, where you are with God now. Ah, that's much easier.
And that's how we got it together. So if I could do it, anyone could do it. Yeah. And there's nothing more beautiful in this world than the fact that we use our pain to help each other. And to lift people up with us as we recover rather than put others down and, you know, just blame everything, blame everyone and destroy everything.
It is so beautiful to take our pain and use it to help others. So, Ms. Gina, thank you for doing that and thank you for coming on the show. Thank you, Mr. Whiskey. God bless. God bless. Alright.
