On Friendship & The Power of Exchange

I have often found that those who could
pay me for what I have to offer would
rather become my friend, and get it
for free. Can't say I blame them, I
have felt myself in that same position
on more than one occasion.

One might say it is a manipulation and
taking advantage of the situation that
is desired, when it seems it might just
be a very deeply rooted desire to
connect with another.

It becomes difficult to know how to
handle situations like these. If I
became friends with everyone and they
got me for free, I wouldn't have any
money to live and take care of myself.

From what I can tell there are other
people who have the same kind of
issues and dilemma when it comes to
things like this, and it makes me
wonder if there is a another way of
looking at things that can empower
all parties concerned.

When I think about it, money is a
form of exchange. I want that apple,
so I need to give you some currency
that will work for you. It might be
that the "currency" could be a pear
for a pie you want to make later.
It also might be 25 cents so that
you can add it to other money so
that you can pay for your water.

As long as people understand what
the expected currency is, then what
occurs between two people is actually
a transaction - which even occurs
between friends.

I know there are some who feel they
shouldn't need to pay for phone sex,
or shouldn't need to talk to a person,
however in the absence of available
options currently in one's life,
wouldn't it be a smart choice to
find someone who would take the
currency he has to offer and give
him what he wants/needs in exchange?

The problem, perhaps, comes from not
truly knowing what is wanted or
needed. Perhaps a person really
wants a relationship with someone,
so by paying someone for phone sex,
he is paying for something he doesn't
really want, and therefore it might be
less than satisfying.

I can see why a person would then
come to resent paying for something
he doesn't want. The problem is
that we don't always consciously
make these connections, so we carry
on in life, based on what we think
we know.

Of course, phone sex could just be
phone sex and a person still may
not feel like it is right to have
to pay for it, however, just like
with any other thing we don't have,
we have to do without it or find
a way to exchange something we have
of value that another person wants
for the thing they have that we
value.

It really is that simple.

And not.

It's not because of all of the
meanings and feelings and other
things that we attach to our
experiences in life. We sometimes
have quite the tangled mess.

So...

I share this with you because it
is something that often is not far
from my mind and because I am hoping
that you could possibly entertain
the idea that we could still be
friends, and you could still pay
me for being me. Perhaps there are
other possibilities along the way,
however this friend has bills to
pay, and appreciates the fact that
she can be there for you because
there are those who are willing to
exchange the currency they get from
their work for what I have to offer.

Currency is truly just a way to say
"I value" something. You might
have a currency in time, however
if it isn't a helpful one for another,
it is helpful to have another option,
or find a different person that it
would be perfect for.

What you do for me in a financial
way shows me that you value who I am,
and the way that you do it for yourself
responsibly shows you that you value
yourself. It is that kind of dynamic
that I would say is a win/win/win:
a win for you, a win for me, and a
win for those who are affected by
the choices we make in our lives.

Thank you for the value you place
on what I have to offer, I really do
appreciate the opportunity to get to
know you, and oddly enough if it
wasn't for the platform I work on,
I bet the odds of us ever meeting in
the real world would be slim to none.

Funny to consider the things that
bring us together.

Oh, and by the way, I have often
been asked if I "just" do what I do
for the money. The answer is an
emphatic NO. I love that what I do
meshes so well with who I am. I love
the fact that I can get paid to talk
to people and get to know them.

I also do come to care for those I
speak to. If you call me and we
connect (whether it is 1 time or more)
and then you disappear, odds are I
will wonder how you are, what happened,
what is going on, how your situation is.

I won't sit around agonizing over it,
but there is a strong likelihood you
WILL cross my mind at some point or
another. You are more than just a
$ sign for me because I know there
is more to you than a horny boy.

Be well, and have a great week,
Isis