My Dad Telling Me I am the Scum of the Earth...

I had a lot of fun when I was working as a stripper. It was one of the best, if not the best, times of my life. Not only was I making enough money for my kids and me; but the job, also, provided a way for all of us to see places we would probably never been able to see if I had chosen a "regular" life for us.

My daddy once told me, "You're the scum of the earth - doin' that dancin' - takin' off your clothes! If you're gonna do that, you shouldn't of told your kids!" I reeplied to his comments by letting him know that I wanted my kids to know who I really am and love me for the kind of person I am and not for someone I pretended to be. I, also, made the decision when I started to dance as a stripper that I was not going to be ashamed of what I was doing and not hide it from anyone - not even my kids. I decided that if I was going to be ashamed of it, then I would not do it.

This type of thinking is something that my dad is incapable of acquiring because his mind is saturated with the life-style of the small-town hypocritical, provincial thinking that the people of Lamar, Missouri hold so high.

Opal as PHONE SEX GRANDMA on YOUTUBE:

Me Not Knowing Which Way...

I was raised in the small town of Lamar, Missouri. Everyone in this little town thought the whole world revolved around Lamar, Missouri. They were, and most still are, small town provincial thinking people. I was programmed to, also, be this way.

I worked at the Blue Top Cafe as a waitress. I was in high school. A customer asked me, "Which direction is Pittsburgh, Kansas?" Well, what a big question to ask! I sure did not know! If it did not concern Lamar, who cared?

I asked my boss, Barney Eagon. He told me it was west of Lamar. I asked him which way was west. He pointed in the west direction; so I was able to tell the customer.

Barney told me something that I did not understand until years later. He told me taht a person should know what is going on around him and where things are around him. This way of thinking, at the atime, was way over my head.

Since that day, I have learned that lesson arney tried to teach me. I learned my directions; and I am aware of what is happening around me and where different cities and states are located. I have been to many of them. Oh, and by the way, Pitsburgh, Kansas is only twenty miles away from Lamar, Missouri.

Fun Things Should Come First...

One of my main objectives in the raising of my children was to let them know that they had the choice of any lifestyle they desired. I was raised in a small town which was saturated with provincial thinking minds. Everybody was expected to meet certain status' of action. I wanted my kids to know that they did not have to act a certain way just because people thought they should.

In my hometown, any fun event was planned for months, even years ahead. I taught my children to do fun things on the "spur of the moment".

One example of this was when we would see such things as carnivals while we were traveling from one of my burlesk jobs to the next. I would pull over and stop the car; so we culd go to it. Sometimes I would be late for a show or miss some. But the loss of the money was worth it because I could see my kid's faces light up with joy.

People where I come from would not even dream of doing ths. "Work comes first! Fun comes later!" This small event would have to be planned ahead and worked around everything else.

As I look back now, I am glad I did different things like that. I almost always put the fun things first concerning my kids.

I once heard that when you come to die, you regret the things you did not do. "Life is short - eat your dessert first." I, also, heard, "I've talked to a lot of peole who were dying and none of them ever said that they wish they had spent more time working."

I instilled the desire for fun in my kids. I am glad I did this. I hope they will pass it on.