This is a great thread, Iron. I once told a woman I did not know that well. We were in the process of becoming friends, and I had just started doing this and felt a little like a cowboy or some sort of a famous outlaw. Moreover, its gets very lonely not being able to share such a large part of your life with anyone. We were out one night, and I got a little drunk and told her. She literally ditched me in the bar and never responded to one of my texts or phone calls after. You would have thought I had told her I had just murdered someone. Since, I have been a lot more careful. I have a couple of close friends and a sister I have come close to telling. It's rather easy for me not to as I make some of my money from freelance writing and some from this. So, I can easily explain travel and having money without having a steady job. I might one day soon, but there is just such a strange aura around this whole thing. There are two major narratives, as far as I can tell, being told right now about the profession. The narrative of cash falling from trees and the whole glamorous call girl image and, of course, the down and out, childhood abuse, self-medicating on alcohol, drugs and quick infusions of cash story But, in reality, the experience is not much like either one of those things. It's quite the middle class existence for most women, decent money, but not enough to really live conspicuously, just paying bills and doing what you need to do and all the rest.
I think most women are curious about doing it. I was. And, then one day, I quit a job without having another one because I was used to being the boss and my then boss had no idea what she was doing. And lo and behold, despite two degrees and a hell of a lot of experience in my field, I could not find a job making that sort of money, at least not in New Orleans. I mean, that's the story, but the real subtext is that I had always been a little bit curious, otherwise I would not have made such a seemingly erratic jump. But, one day, I did. I just did it. I just put up an ad on backpage. That was all I knew, and I had to research to find that marketing outlet. I'm still to this day shocked that I actually went to my first appointment. And, still to this day, shocked that I felt neither ashamed or terrible about it after it was over. I felt powerful. Was an experience. I feel very gutsy for doing it. I didn't start out in the swinging scene or know anyone, eve,r who had done this. One day, I just up and decided to do it
. Well, kind of. I did a copious amount of research about how to screen (at first I screened without knowing about references. Oh man, the amount of hangups I got when asking for full names and places of employment
, and just in general how to go about it.
And honestly, after a day like today where I got up at 9, went for a leisurely 30 mile bike ride around Austin, stopping for a lunch and a couple of glasses of wine here and there, before meandering slowly back, I don't know why every woman doesn't do it. Sometimes, it's kind of awesome!