Deep breath...
I first entered into this business for ALL the wrong reasons.
I was hurt but also lonely. The actual hurt I felt at the time made me question the motives of everyone around me...including my own family...I really was in that much pain. From that comes a sense of isolation which is the WORST thing in the world for some hurting to experience. I'm not a loner by nature, though I am happy to spend time alone so it was a matter of time before that was going to become a big problem. Providing allowed me company without any emotional attachment. Men were in my life on my terms and as crap as that sounds that was how I wanted it. To be fair, everyone was in my life on my terms at that point but no-one really challenged me about it because family were too far way. I was detached beyond belief when I first started doing this...it really is cringeworthy thinking about it. What absolutely used to infuriate me though were the captain save a ho types. I didnt want rescuing, I wanted to understand me not be saved from me. I freely admit I was entirely selfish back then (5 years ago) and am surprised I had any repeat clients but I did. On the upside, providing put me through Grad school. That was the foundation surprisingly of my learning to trust others again..including myself. Whilst that was postive, relying on providing as my major source of income was not. It limits your choices and that limits your freedom to grow as a person.
I think I realized that a new foundation had been built for me to grow from when I had a date with a client and I REALLY enjoyed his company. There is no question that this occured from the interactions in my personal life. I just arrived at a point where I thought, "Screw it, I'm going to let myself enjoy him without being guarded and if he lets me down he lets me down..life WILL go on." That was probably about 4 years ago and I have zero regrets about making that leap into the unknown. It was exhilerating and scary and god knows what else but I just sensed I was ready to deal with the consequences even if it went wrong. It actually did go wrong lol....he wanted too much and he got angry when I calmly ans gently said no. I was disappointed but that's all. I didn't fall apart or shatter into a thousand pieces and that was real turning point in my life. I don't think I could have done that had I limited my "healing" to this world or the civvie world. Fo me, the two worked in tandem to get me to a better place. Providing was an instrumental part of getting me back on my feet again but on it's own it would not have worked. Around this time, I switched my name to Camille as a reflection of my own personal change and the rest as they say is history.
These days I'm much more aware of what I enjoy in a man and what I don't. I'm not afraid to say no to a a request even if the man is polite and ticks all the right boxes on paper. My approach is that if I wouldn't go on a civvie blind date with then I won't go on a paid blind date with you...and I am fully aware that this benefits us both. I don't bullshit anyone when we do go on a date but nor do I try to prove myself. I accept (fully) that we are not for everyone and the law of averages suggests that not everyone will enjoy my company. I don't take it personally because I've grown into a person I like. I can live with my choices because I'm prepared to own them. I've learned alot about myself being a provider but I couldn't have done that without the men obviously. Did I come here to learn? Nope, I think I came here to hide and lick my wounds. What I unexpectedly found was some sort of sanctuary where I was pretty much left alone to evolve on my own terms at my own speed. I didnt have to answer to anyone because the magic of this biz if someone rubs you the wrong way you don't have to see them again. Had you asked me why I started this when I first did I could not have given you an answer. It was an entirely instinctual move, not a logical one. Instincts are hard to explain but I trust mine alot, they tend to be more in tune with me at times than my brain
Rambling aside, I think our needs change. Why we started is not necessarily why we stay. It's all relative. I suppose I'm the sterotypical textbook tragedy of who enters this biz but I defy idiots like Diane Sawyer about why I stay here. I stay because I am still evolving...BUT at a much higher, healthier and happier level. I sense (there go those instincts again!) that my evolution in the demi world will fade in the next 12 months. Perhaps because I've done incall, outcall, high rates, lower rates, agency, indy, static and now travel. Regardless of what you do, if you're not evolving it's time to think about change. Hey...if this was TMI I apologize but I'm sort of over the past so it's no biggie to me these days
C xx