Vulnerable
The song below is truly deep and beautiful (and relatable for sex workers):
Shame – Summer Walker
In a perfect world
You’re understanding, I’m not a perfect girl
I would drop my fears at the door
I would only bring myself and nothing more
And you let me be, a woman
And you let me be, a flawed woman
You would yearn to hear all about my past
What I’ve done, what I’ve did and why
Hear all my sick thoughts
And if I needed to, I could cry
And you would catch my tears
You don’t wanna be nobody else’s place, no, aye, no
You don’t wanna be nobody else’s place, to hide from themselves
Shame
And I’m the one to blame
You see right through me
You see through the smile
You see straight through me
You push past the lies, oh
You got it baby
Oh, oh, oh
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Such a subtle song, yet very deep for those who understand. The world is not perfect. It’s not easy to be vulnerable without fear of what may follow. It becomes exhausting to constantly put on a facade to impress others or to fit in with others. Deep down, we just want to be ourselves and be accepted for whom we truly are. Especially in the context of relationships (friends, family and lovers) — we want to be vulnerable and feel safe. As a sex worker, how easy it is for one to just lay out her past …just be herself (flaws and all)... without the fear of being judged, exploited, or rejected? How much do we have to keep inside?
*On a side note, I love of lot of Summer Walker’s songs: she get’s it. She, after all, used to be a stripper and apparently came from a troubled past. Her talent comes from her life experiences, which is why she is raw, erratic and unique. My favorite songs of hers are: “CPR,” and “Just Might.” You can sense the emotion in her voice.
“Just Might be Hoe….”
“Love is a losing game, so I just might be a hoe.” In “Just Might,” I don’t think Summer’s intent is to promote being a “Hoe” but rather she is expressing the disappointments that love brought, so it appears to be more lucrative to focus on meeting men who pay her (rather than give love for free that always ended up hurting her). I have shared the same mindset myself — though, I would never wish upon other women to resort to sex work to heal a broken heart.