The Other Side of Life from Being a Stripper....

When I was raising my two kids, I wanted them to know about "life". I, also, wanted them to have a good education. I sent them to boarding schools because I was dancing as a stripper on the road. John went to military school in Tennessee his first, second, third, and fifth grade year. Melissa went to a girl's Catholic school in Kentucky her first and third year.

I was trying to balance their life of a good formal education with the "street" education they learned from being wiith me because I took them everywhere with me - even in the burlesk theaters.

The life style I gave them; and the type of people they were around when with me provided their "street smarts" while the boarding schools gave them the best education that I felt possible.

My mother took care of them in Lamar, Missouri during Melissa's second grade year and John's fourth grade year. That was a mistake. She had sprained her back from lifting at the nursing home where she worked. My dad told me I should have her take care of the kids and give her the money I paid to the schools to help her out. They were divorced at the time; but evidently he still cared about her.

Everytime I do something against what I feel is right, I mess up. I thought that maybe he was right, and I should do this to help her. It turned out disasterous.

Evidently her back made a full recovery or she had it cooked up with my dad to get money out of me. I paid her to keep the kids. She ended up going back to work. The kids went to school in the daytime. Mama worked from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.; so the babysitter picked them up from school. She worked the weekends; so they were at the babysitters then, too. Mama had it worked out to be with them as little as possible and still get money from me. They hated it that year, especially, John. I was sorry I left them with her and still am.

During Melissa's fourth and fifth grade and John's sixth and seventh grade, they went to two different Catholic schools in Canton, Ohio. I was in love and wanted to be around him. I got a lot of work at the theater and worked at other dancing jobs in cities close by - such as Akron, Ohio, Youngstown, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pa.

John's eighth grade and Melissa's sixth grade was partially spent in Canton. Melissa was still in Catholic School; but John was too old for this school. I sen thom to a public school - wrong decision! John was used to discipline and rules. This was a typical public school which let the kids run wild. This was the main reason I moved back to Lamar, Missouri for the rest of the school year.

I decided that since John would be starting to high school next year - he needed to go to one school for four years. High school tuition at a military school was really expensive - more than I felt I could afford. I could have paid it; but I wanted to be with my kids; and I wanted John and Melissa to be settled in one school for their high school years.

The short time John went to the public school in Canton made me realize that if they had to go to public school, then it would be in a small town. John hated it. Melissa became wild.

I wish I would have kept them in the boarding schools for twelve years; so do they. It was an expensive, emotional experience that we all endured and a final decision fo me to make me realize to go by my own thoughts and emotions rather than what others "think I should do".

Bradley Apologizing to My Kids

I was dancing as a stripper in Syracuse, New York. My boss, Al Baker, had told me that I could work at this burlesk theater all summer to save on traveling expenses; since my kids would be out of their boarding schools for the summer.

The place all of the dancers stayed was the Hilton Hotel. It was not like the fancy Hilton Hotels. This hotel was an older one - like out of the early 1900's.

I was really happy, telling everyone my kids would be here all summer long. The manager, Bradley, wasted no time telling me that the hotel allowed "no kids". I wasted no time telling Bradley that I did not care what the hotel rules were. My kids would be staying at this hotel with me for the summer.

I left to go to Tennessee and Kentucky to get my children from their boarding schools. When we arrived back at the hotel, Bradley was at the desk. I introduced my kids to him. My son John, only six years old, shook his hand - manners he had learned from military school. Bradley once again told me - "no kids allowed". I once again told him they were staying. We walked to our room.

Bradley finally gave up. I really did not know why. I did know that we were going to stay. He would have had to call the police to get us out.

The kids had been there for about a month. Bradley told me he needed to tell me something. He said he wanted to apologize for telling me that my kids could not stay at the hotel. He told me they could stay there as long as I wanted. He said they were the most well-behaved kids he had ever seen in his life. I said, "I know. Now you are going to apologize to my kids". He said, "Oh! No! I told you. That's enough!" I told him that that was not enough and that he would apologize to them.

I brought my kids down from the room. I told them Bradley had something to tell them. He said, "No, I don't!" We just stood there. I said, "Tell them, Bradley!" Finally, after about fifteen minutes or so he gave in. He apologized to my kids and told them how good they were and that they could stay here as long as they wanted. I guess he finally gave in because he knew we would stand there until he did.

I always appreciated his verbal acknowledgement reagarding my kids behavior. I always respect a person who is big enough to say, "I was wrong".