Jeanie — #1
Recorded 9/20/21
9/19/2021
I met Jeanie through Instagram during my 31 Days Denver project in 2021. She was extremely supportive and checked out every single story or update I posted. Once I finished that series, we kept in contact through Instagram. We would always respond to each other’s stories and be very kind to each other.
As I started to think about who I could interview first for this project, Jeanie came to mind, and I hadn’t even met her in person yet. Simply, we were mutual followers, but that didn’t stop me. I reached out and told her about my project idea and she was more than on board to participate.
I traveled from Chicago to Linden, Michigan to stay with Jeanie and her husband, Dave. They were more than accommodating and made me feel right at home, just like Brad and Erika. I got there on 9/19/2021 and stayed through 9/21. During our time, I interviewed both of them, took photos, and relaxed at their new lake house.
She told me many stories about Jake, her son, who was born in 1992, and then passed away in 2018 by suicide. Jeanie had her heart on her sleeve, and although very difficult, she shared everything she could about Jake. He loved yellow, and that was his favorite color. (Remember the importance of yellow, it will surely come up later in the project.)
Once we finished, I felt some sort of grand connection to Jeanie. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you what it was…simply, something very powerful and positive rushed over me. I don’t believe in God or religion, but after my conversations with Jeanie, I started to think more and more about the afterlife. I began to wonder… is Jake still with us in some form? Is there a collective energy? Who knows. All I know is that I felt something quite robust.
After I left, Jeanie continually checked on me while I was on the road, helping in any form she could.
The next year, in June 2022, I attended my first Rio Bash to truly grasp what these events were like. Let me tell you, Jeanie was not kidding when she said it was all about love and good vibes. I was incredibly thankful I attended, and even more ecstatic I had the chance to see Jeanie and Dave again.
