My Inspiration

Switching my brain
Is all the same
As breathing.

When I write,
I do not have to fight
To find my inspiration.

100 STORIES FROM AN OLD STRIPPER

By Opal Dockery

Food For the Desk Clerk

One night after the strip show in Syracuse, New York all of us strippers went to have breakfast. It was a Greek restaurant. All of us ordered omelets with the "the works". There was so much food that we could not eat all of it. So we decided to be onery. We asked for one to-go container and put our left-overs from all our omelets in the one container. We went back to the hotel and told the desk clerk we were thinking about him and brought him a nice omelet. He said, "Oh you girls are so nice!" If he only knew!!!!!!

Deceiving Eyes

To realize
The eyes
Can deceive
Leads one to believe
That things are not Always as they seem

Working Three Jobs With No Car

I was working three different jobs and raising my children on my own with no support, financial or otherwise, from anyone. Also, I had no car. We lived in Independence, Missouri. I walked to work at a factory job in Sugar Creek that was approximately ten miles away, waited on tables at Waid's Restaurant on 40 Highway on the third shift, and go-go danced on 12th Street in downtown Kansas City when I was not working the waitress job.

I remember - I would take my little go-go outfit and go to each little go-go shack along 12th Street and ask if they needed a go-go dancer for the night. I almost always found work. They paid me $10.00 for a night of dancing which helped out a lot back then.

I cannot remember all the different ways I used for transportation back then, but I mainly walked. I remember that it was approximately ten miles to the factory job. I even walked it when it was raining. The check I got from this job was for the babysitter.

I remember that when I went to work at the waitress job which was on the all night shift, I would get my kids ready for bed. We would walk to a nearby restaurant and call the babysitter to come pick us up.

There was a period of time that I had to leave my kids with the babysitter all week long without seeing them because of the amount of work I had to do and the lack of transportation. During this time, I had given up my apartment and had no place to stay. I would sit up in a coffee shop all night acting like I was waiting for someone.

When I got the bartending job at the Pink Pussy Cat, I worked it a night. I still worked my day factory job in the daytime, and my waitress job on the weekends. Sometimes I would go for three days without sleeping. I had to be careful on my waitress job because I almost fell asleep calling in orders sometimes.

I was smart enough to know that I could not keep this up until my kids were eighteen; so I decided to give all the jobs up except for stripping and go on the road. That is one of the best decisions I ever made in my life.

Having My Period On Stage

I started my period on stage once in Syracuse, New York. It did not seem to bother the customers. Most were such perverted assholes anyway. Some were not, but even the ones who were not came there for any "off-the-wall" happenings - like an escape from reality. After the show, I remember that I asked a regular customer to go get me some tampons. I think his name was Howard. I can still remember what he looked like - older and always nice. He said, "I think you need some!"

Today Instead of Tomorrow

Today
One needs to say
Things that are hidden.
Tomorrow could be too late
Because fate
Does not wait.

CLEAR FEELINGS

The feelings are there
They are so clear.
I just need to reveal them.

It is clear
That I am near
To so many desired achievements.

When things are clear,
One does not fear
Uncertainty.

Claiming Self Expression

It is a shame
To not claim
Your right
To self-expression.

THOUGHTS OF A STRIPPER: A Mother's Story

ISBN: 978-0-557-49025-7

Price: $25.00

Dixie Publishing Company

177 Pages

Order the Book online at:

http://lulu.com/dixiepublishing

Save Others

Each day that we live
We must give
Of ourselves
To save others
The best we can.