Crystal - The Red Empress

Crystal – The Red Empress

When we wake up in the mornings, take care of our children, commute to work, clean our homes, prepare for our daily grinds, pay our bills, how many of us also log on to our computers and check in on our Twisted families within the first hour of waking? I know I do. I sometimes don’t even have my first cup of coffee before I’ve picked up my phone to check on the twisted events from the night before. What have I missed? We owe this addiction, this habit, this communal commonality of weirdness to one woman: Crystal, our Red Empress.

This bold brassy woman had a vision to create a place where people from all over the world who were  strange, had different views than the norm, maybe felt like misfits, could come together and speak their minds without being ostracized by others. She created a community that feels like a home. And she did this because like many of us; growing up, our homes lives for lack of a better life truly sucked.

She shares a rocky background; an abusive an alcoholic parental past. When this happens to people, it makes, breaks, or a combination of the two in the outcome of the resulting person. It definitely created this strong, independent beauty that stood before me that balmy, rainy afternoon; beaming up at me, she embraced me recognizing me as a sister from another mister as we joke.

We spent the afternoon with the rest of the New York twisties cooking out, eating, drinking, and socializing. Living minutes apart; this group of fellow comrades had never really met; their only form of communicating was behind their computer screen, safely hidden from the prying eyes of the real world. And here they stood in front of their fearless leader; their larger than life Crimson Queen. She leads us daily, staring back at us, peering at us with those emerald eyes and we know that today is going to be ok because our family and our sister, our mother is there for us. But today, today on this Saturday afternoon, she really is there all 5 feet 2 inches of her. The image has become mortal, the dream a reality.

When the crowd thins, I get my moment alone with my kindred spirit. I find as I meet each member, that they all truly are kindred in one way or another. I listen to Crystal’s story, so much like so many others. Did we all have the same parents? Was alcohol, drugs, and abuse free to anybody who wanted it?

As a teenage street punk Crystal grew up street wise. Her family then were the boys she to this day calls brothers like Mike R. and Mike D. These men watched her blossom from the ballsy, brazen teenage runaway to the incredible, intelligent entrepreneur she is today. As a mother of three, she not only is a vet tech, but also owns her own pet sitting service, and admins several Facebook pages; the most successful, The Twisted Wonderland.

 This amazing 31 year old makes it look easy: juggling three kids, working 2 jobs, administrating web pages. It’s because she does it her way. She refuses to let anyone or anything stand in her way. She selects people to help her, she takes and consults people on advice, but in the end she goes with her gut instincts to lead her in the direction she feels is best for her people. That’s how she see them: her people. She is the matriarch of this complex, twisted society. She is successful because she has the support of her partner, her members and her other administrative staff.

Different things remind me of people in this group. What can I say, I like metaphors. I’m listening to Matikas’ 1989 Toy Soliders, and that is what this Twisted Group is we are fallen toy soldiers that are finding our way up again. It is this group created by this Red Sargent that is helping us get back up bit by bit after being torn apart at different times in our lives.

In Alice in Wonderland the Red Queen is a Malevolent ruler. “Off with her Head” she would cry, and while Crystal does have that wild temper, she has a heart of gold and rules and runs this group with nothing but love and benevolence. So to those reading this blog, won’t you come play in our Twisted Wonderland; I can promise she won’t take your head the first day…