AC Capehart/Cops, Callgirls and Therapy

Created Thu, 13 Jan 2005 01:05:05 +0000 Modified Thu, 14 Oct 2021 14:31:47 +0000
718 Words

I just finished a book by Norma Jean Almodovar entitled Cop to Call Girl describing aspects of her two careers — first as a traffic cop with the LAPD and subsequently as a call girl. And, to a lesser extent her activism concerning the decriminalization of consensual sex laws. I borrowed it from bk partly because I’m moderately fascinated by sex work and those that do it and partly because it did seem like an unusual transition.

I found it both interesting and depressing. Depressing mainly because of her descriptions of the behavior of police on duty and life in prison. And, of course, because of the stark relief Norma Jean paints in asking (paraphrased) how exactly are our lives safer when consensual activity between adult moral agents is outlawed and punished?

I’ve heard the term “blue mafia” before and figured it was a kinda cutesy “who watches the watchmen” thing. But I didn’t (and still don’t) have any direct experience with felonious cops. Sure, I’ve seen ’em speed down the highway. And once, in NJ, I was waiting to make a left at a light, and the cop behind me wanted to make a right, so, he went around me across the yellow line and down the road to the right. It must be hard to hold on to a moral center when you know you won’t be punished for little slips, when all your associates benefit from using the power they’ve been granted, when as long as you don’t do anything bad enough to bring down internal affairs. And hell, even if you do, maybe you get suspended for a little while. It’s a little harder to get ahead. Besides, what’s internal affairs’ incentive to do a good job? Sure, they want to stop any cop bad enough to make news and bad publicity. But if they busted every criminal in blue, who would be left to stop the rapists and murderers that aren’t in uniform?

This wasn’t intended to be an anti-police rant. I was telling you about my reading. I moved from Cop to Call Girl to How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World by Harry Browne. So far, it’s a really weird read for me. It starts off very much like a therapy book. It says things like (again, paraphrasing) “How you experience things is based on who you are and the nature of the thing you are interacting with.” OK. I’m good with that. It’s very therapy. And my immediate therapy/dao reaction to that is to “be like water” — it takes the shape of whatever container it is in, but still does not lose it’s identity. And Harry’s good with the next step too. That’s too look inside yourself. Determine who you really are and what you really want. It’s the next step that cracks me up… And then go get it. Fuck everyone else. Or don’t fuck everyone else. Ya know. Whatever it is that makes you happy. You looked inside, you found what you want, now, go get it, tiger!

It’s going to be a good read. And it’s indicative of one of my life struggles so far. In desiring change, how much to try to change my self, and how much to try to change my environment. And, related to that, how to be satisfied and comfortable where I am in the here and now while still seeking that change. I guess I need to meditate more. For that matter, I guess I need to meditate at all. Heh.