Becoming a Stripper Led Me to Become a Vegetarian



BECOMING A STRIPPER LED ME TO BECOME A VEGETARIAN

I feel that everyone should pay back to the world some way for the privilege of having lived. I feel that my way of doing this will be to fight for animal rights.

I was dragged through Hell to make me realize that it is wrong to kill animals. I feel that it is my "duty" to the world to, at least, let it know that killing animals is wrong. There is not a doubt in my mind about this.

If I had not been left to raise my kids on my own and become a stripper, I really feel that I would not have ever become a vegetarian. I knew I was going to have to raise them on my own with no help from anyone. I wanted to, at least, raise them until they were eighteen. I decided to study health. I figured if I could keep healthy, then I could live until they were both, at least, eighteen and able to take care of themselves.

By studying health, I realized that it was unhealthy to eat animals. Later on, I became radical about feeling sorry for the animals who are victims of slaughter and man's various appetites.

If I can be thankful for anything I have accomplished in this life, it is the fact that I realized that it is wrong to kill animals. All the hard times I had to go through was worth it if it meant I would realize this. If I had my life to live over, and knew all the hard times I would have to endure – but in the long run I would realize the injustice society dishes out to animals – I would say, “I will endure these trials and tribulations and be dragged through the “Pits of Hell” if that is what it would take just to know that it is wrong to kill animals.”

I have enjoyed all the worldly things. I have done everything I want to do as far as the world can offer me. I have all the worldly

"things" I ever want. Now it is my time to give back to the world. I feel that by letting people know it is wrong to kill animals is my way of doing this.

Best Decision I Ever Made to Become a Stripper

Opal Dockery

THE OLD STRIPPER



BEST DECISION I EVER MADE TO BECOME A STRIPPER

It was difficult to be a stripper on the road; but through it all, the good times outweighed the bad. This job enabled my children and myself to travel and see things that would have been impossible if I had worked a regular job. It was like being on a vacation all the time and getting paid for it. Whenever I think back, I know that becoming a stripper was the wisest decision I ever made in my life.

The following best describes my deepest feelings and is from my story in this book,VISION OF BECOMING A STRIPPER: But there was an unsettling deep inside me. The unsettling that has been with me all my life. The unsettling that I have had ever since I have had any sense of consciousness. The unsettling that will not let me stop and be satisfied with a certain situation or certain type of life for any length of time. The unsettling that knaws at my insides to do something else. The unsettling that will not let me settle down - my spirit.

Different Roads to Finding Your Spirit

Opal Dockery

THE OLD STRIPPER

A Dixie Production



I think it is imperative that each of us find our own true self - our own true spirit. All of us do not reach this level on the same road. We all take different roads at times. Who is to say that one road is better or worse than the other? The road that is right for one person may be wrong for another. The end result is what counts. A person might cook rice differently from someone else. As long as it is edible the way he or she likes it; and it serves as a good nutrition value, who cares how it was prepared?

The road I took to find my true spirit and to come face to face with it was quite an unusual road. When I became a stripper, this is the road I traveled that led me to enlightenment. I discovered my spirit. I introduced myself to my spirit. I came face to face with my spirit. I reached a level so high that I would not have been able to cope with the beautiful feeling if it had been any higher.

My spirit has been with me forever. It just took this – what most common ordinary people would call irrational act – to permit me to meet my spirit and to always know that my spirit is continually with me and will always guide me.

My spirit guided me through all the hard times of raising my children. Without the knowledge of my spirit, I do not see how I could have managed this. At that time, I did not know how to take care of myself – let alone two little kids and to raise them to adulthood.

My spirit continually is with me as I make all decisions in my life. I have so much thanks to the road I took as being a stripper and an outcast of society. This decision was the best one I ever made in my life. I truly did find my spirit in them most unconventional way.

Getting In Trouble With a Pimp



GETTING IN TROUBLE WITH A PIMP

To this day, I really do not know why I did this. I could have been killed. I guess it was just out of stupid curiosity. I do not know. At the time, I think I felt that I was trying to educate myself by understanding different people and different personalities - what made them tick. Maybe this was the reason I did what I am about to tell you about. I do not know. I could back-up my stupidity for this particular incident by saying it was for the purpose of understanding personalities based on the fact that I earned my bachelor of science in psychology years later. And I must admit that the first hand experience I received provided more information than anything I could have ever obtained from a textbook.

There was this young, good looking black man that hung around the Two O'Clock Club where I danced as a stripper in Boston, Massachusetts. He never bought any drinks and would say, "No." when hustled to buy some. He seemed to be friends with one of the waitresses. I found out later from other dancers that he was a pimp.

I had never talked to a pimp before as far as I knew. I told myself that I should talk to him and try to understand this type of personality. The approach I decided to use was not too appropriate as far as my personal safety was concerned.

I could not go to him and say, "Heh! I hear you're a pimp. Could I interview you and study your personality?" So I decided on the dangerous approach. I acted like I wanted to work for him.

As far as I can remember, I just went up and told him I wanted to make more money, and I wasn't sure how to do it. I needed someone to show me how. I played the dumb stripper act to the hilt. It worked too good.

Immediately he lit into me. "Listen, Bitch, give me some money. If you haven't got paid, give me what you got on you now. You hear me, Bitch? You pay me to be your man. I know where you work. I know where you live. You have me some money by 2:00 a.m. or leave the state of Massachusetts. You hear me, Bitch? The money at 2:00 a.m. or else!"

Needless to say, I was scared. I went and told my girlfriend and roommate, Lori, about what happened. I told her that she didn't have to walk home with me tonight if she didn't want to because he might be there to hurt me. She said she would never leave me alone to face someone like that.

He never showed up after work. I sure was glad. As a

matter-of-fact, I do not ever remember seeing him around after that.

I think my friend must have said something to him. She had a way of being forceful with words towards these type of men.

I watched my words AND my curiosity very carefully from that moment on.

Jack - Offs Taking Us Girls Out to Eat



THE OLD STRIPPER

JACK-OFFS TAKING US GIRLS OUT TO EAT

Being a stripper draws you to many men who are after your body. Some people refer to them as "stage-door Johnnys". Most of us strippers back then referred to them as "jack-offs". We would get everything we could out of them without going to bed with them. One thing we could always count on was a free meal out of them anytime. They were always wanting to "take us out to eat".

It got to the point where it was better to be hungry or buy my own food. Most of the time when a "jack-off" would take me out to eat, he would just stare at me. No matter what I talked about, I could see him undressing me with his eyes.

It was good to have these guys around to pick up the tab for a lot of things such as food or clothes or whatever else I could think to use them. But for the most part, the aggravation of their presence was not worth it.

1001 RAMBLINGS OF AN OLD WORN OUT STRIPPER

by

OPAL DOCKERY

 



1001 Ramblings of an Old Worn Out Stripper

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OLD TIME BURLESQUE DANCER RELEASES MEMOIRS

New Autobiographical Book Shares Thoughts, Poems and More Over a 40 Year Period

Burbank, California – What goes through the mind of an old worn out stripper?

Dixie Publishing is proud to release the new autobiographical book 1001 RAMBLINGS OF AN OLD WORN OUT STRIPPER, written by Opal Dockery. This groundbreaking book is is a shocking, eye-opening and entertaining compilation of thoughts and memories from a former burlesque dancer over a 40 year period.

Dockery's new book is a unique, interesting, funny, serious, informative, shocking, eye-opening and entertaining compilation of short stories, poems, quotes and thoughts of her one of a kind life over a forty four year period.

“The reader gets a sneak peek at my being a stripper for 22 years, a single Mother, an animal rights activist, my childhood and personal thoughts”, Dockery stated in press materials. “It's a book you will be glad you read and one you will never forget”.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Opal Dockery is an award-winning actress, writer, poet and filmmaker. A former burlesque dancer for over 20 years, she is the author of many books, including the inspirational autobiography THOUGHTS OF A STRIPPER: A Mother's Story. Ms. Dockery has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice. She has been a vegetarian/vegan for over 40 years, and is an animal rights activist.

1001 RAMBLINGS OF AN OLD WORN-OUT STRIPPER

Opal Dockery

Category: Biographical / Feminist / Humor / Inspirational / Poetry

ISBN: 978-1-312-09490-1 / Paperback $27.00

8 ½ by 11 inches / 375 Pages

This book is available online at http://www.lulu.com/dixiepublishing or may be ordered by calling 818-570-3415

To request a review copy, or author interview, please contact Jack Truman at dixiepublishingbooks@gmail.com or at (818) 570-3415

THE OUTHOUSE

Award Winning Slamdance $99 Short Film

Starring Opal Dockery

Keeping My Spirit Strong

From my writings in 1974:

I must keep my Spirit strong which is equal to a strong mind. (To discover how a diseased mind works is a dangerous thing to do). A pimp will scare the girl into giving him money. He won't stop with a little – he will demand more and more. The meaner he is to her – the more money he will get from her. Only the weak mind gives in to this sort of trickery and domination. It is better to be dead than to have an idiot control one's mind. “I am a pimp. You pay me money to be your man. You don't waste my time. I want the money now. If you haven't got paid, give me what you have on you now – you Bitch. Listen to me, Bitch. I'll be back at 2:00 a.m.; and you better have me some money or you better leave the state. I know where you work and where you live. The money at 2:00 or else. You hear me, Bitch?”

A pimp tries to put words in your mouth. He says you have said things that you really did not say. He turns and twists everything around to suit his purpose. It takes a strong mind and a lot of nerve to deal against a pimp without being overtaken by him.

Concerning customers – It doesn't matter what they look like, what size, shape, or color – or what they smell like just as long as they buy that drink.

1001 RAMBLINGS FROM AN OLD WORN-OUT STRIPPERBy Opal Dockery