They Tore Twelfth Street Down

It really did make me sad and mad when they tore all the go-go places down on twelfth street in Kansas City, Missouri. There was a whole block of them lined up next to each other from Central to Wyandotte. This is where I got my start as a stripper. It was like they were tearing down my history.

I worked a factory job in a garment factory in Sugar Creek, Missouri in the daytime and a waitress job on the weekends. At night, I would come downtown to twelfth street and go from bar to bar asking if they needed a go-go dancer for the night. I would get paid $10.00 for this if they let me dance.

It was scary to me; but I am glad I did it. I got really scared one time when a man walked up to me on the street where the go-go joints were and said, "Can I eat your pussy?" I got used to those remarks over the years.

They tore the go-go joints down; so they could build a fancy hotel in their place - The Vista. I always said, "I hope it goes broke". I do not know for sure; but I heard it did. I sure to hope so.

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Telling the Car Driver to go Fuck his Mother

I had quite a mouth on me while I was a stripper. I used to cuss someone out wherever and whenever I felt like it. It did not make any difference to me what they thought or who heard me.

I still do have quite a mouth on me and speak my mind more openly and honestly than the normal person does; but I have learned to tone it down through the years. I learned this from the process of survival.

The first lesson in life that brought me to the realization that I had better tone my mouth down happened one day in Buffalo, New York when I was walking from the hotel to the theater through a pretty rough area of town composed of bars, pimps, Johns, and prostitutes. A car load of guys were following me. The driver kept hollering sexual things to me. Telling me to get in the car, suck his dick, and whatever other perverted things you can think about. I tried to ignore him by just walking and not looking at him. He just kept it up. I just could not stand it any longer. I hollered out, "Why don't you go fuck your mother?!"

He looked really mean at me and hollered back, "Fuck my mother? You bitch!" I could tell he was going to park pretty soon and get out of the car or meet me at the corner and hurt me.

Luck for me there were a lot of stores around . I quickly dashed into a grocery store. I was really scared.

I stayed in the store for awhile. When I left, I just prayed that those guys were gone. Lucky for me, I never saw them again.

I still have a dirty mouth. I still speak my mind. But that incident was enough of a jolt that brought me to the realization to clean up my mouth, at least, on occasions when I think it is necessary.

The Prostitutes and Their Corner

I was working in Buffalo, New York. I would have to walk from my hotel to the burlesk theater and back every day. One area I had to walk through wa pretty rough. It consisted of bars, pimps, Johns, and prostitutes.

A lot of the prostitutes would stare at me when I walked by; but I did not pay any attention because I was used to people staring all the time; since I wore a large amount of make-up for the stage. But these girls were staring at me more than normally. I just ignored it and minded my own business.

One day a prostitute came over and said to me, "So! What corner are you working on?" I said, "What?" She replied, "What corner are you working on?" All at once, I suddenly realized why they had stared at me so much. They were afraid I was going to be competition and wanted to make sure I was not going to take their corner away.

I said, "Look, you don't have to worry about me. I just work down there at the burlesk theater. I have to walk down this street to get to work". She said, "Oh!"

Aftre that, the girls would still stare; but thre was a difference. Along with the stare was also a smile and a wave.