Wine & Spirits

A FEW GLASSES OF MERLOT, I PLOPPED MY DERRIERE ON MY MOTHER'S COUCH. BEING 27 YEARS OLD AND BACK HOME AGAIN WAS NOT IDEAL AND I WAS CRAVING A CHANGE. A 9-5 AT WAWAS CONVIENCE STORE WAS NOT CUTTING IT FINANCIALLY. SO, I SCROLLED ON MY CELL PHONE BROWSING SITES. AFTER A FEW GLASSES OF MERLOT, WITH FIMILAR SPIRITS ENTERING ME, I STARTED TO FEEL INVICINCIBLE WITH SUPER HERO CAPABILITIES. IT WAS ME AGAINST MY WORLD AND I WAS READY TO DOMINATE THE NIGHT AND GET MY FINGERS ON A FEW GRAND.

THIS SOCIETY DEPICTS POSTITUTION OR MORE ELEGANTLY SAID, THE ESCORTING INDUSTRY, AS A GLAMOUROUS AND A LUCRATIVE ALTERNATIVE FOR MAKING A LIVING...LOL; IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK. AND IT DEPENDS ON WHICH SOCIETY YOU BELONG TO.

OPINIONS AND IDEAS ARE DEVELOPED BASED ON A PERSON'S UPBRINGING. GENERATIONAL WEALTH AND OPPORTUNITY LEAD TO A CERTAIN TYPE OF UPBRINGING. ENVIRONMENT AND BIOLOGY MAKE US WHO WE ARE. GENERATIONAL POVERTY AND LACK OF OPPORTUNITY LEAD TO A DIFFERENT TYPE OF UPBRINGING THAT CANT BE UNDERSTOOD BY THOSE WHO NEVER EXPERIENCED IT.

WITH BIG NAME ARTISTS LIKE CARDI B OR MEGHAN THEE STALLION DOMINATING THE AIRWAYS AND TV SCREENS, SOME WHO DID EXPERIENCE AND CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THAT TYPE OF UPBRINGING MAY THINK IT'S A REQUIREMENT TO REVEAL THEN RECIEVE TO OBTAIN A CERTAIN LEVEL OF SUCCESS.

MAYBE IT IS FOR SOME OF US. IN MORE THAN ONE WAY...

HEY, AS A YOUNG WOMAN IN AMERICA, "THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY", THAT LIFE SHOULD NOT BE THE LIFE ONE ASPIRES TO OR WANTS TO PROMOTE. BUT EVERYONE'S OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA IS NOT THE SAME. SOME SEE GLAMOUR AND SUCCESS IN A LIFE WHERE "BROKE BOYS DESERVE NO KITTY". IN REAL LIFE, EVERYTHING DOESN'T PLAY OUT LIKE IT DOES IN A THREE-MINUTE SONG OR A VIDEO. IN REAL LIFE, THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF JAIL, DANGER, AND EVEN DEATH.

THAT'S MY LIFE.

I'M ALEXIS; ALMOND TONED, 110 POUNDS, 5'2, WITH DARK LONG HAIR. I'M MENTALLY OPEN BUT OFTEN NOT AVAILABLE.

NOT SURE WHAT IT WOULD BRING...THE MERLOT SPEAKS, YOLO, "ONLY ONE LIFE TO LIVE". I GOT DRESSED, MADE UP MY FACE AND BOOM 1HR LATER I WAS POSTED ON AN ONLINE SITE TO MEET GUYS FOR CASH. READY TO LIVE THE DREAM MOST ONLY HEAR ABOUT IN SONGS OR SEE ON TV. I WAS INTENT ON MAKING MY LIFE THE BEST IT COULD BE (SO I TOLD MYSELF).

AFTER TRAVELING FROM STATE TO STATE, A NEW CITY EVERY FEW MONTHS AND ODD JOBS, I HAD LITTLE DIRECTION IN MY LIFE. I KNEW WHO I WAS AS PERSON, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE THAT FIT INTO A WORLD SO DIFFERENT THAN ME. I WAS TAUGHT TO MANIPULATE TO RECIEVE WHAT I WANTED. TO ALWAYS REMAIN IN CHARACTER, AS A LADY, AND SHOW NO EMOTIONS. I WAS TAUGHT TO FEEL NO EMOTIONS; BETTER SAID.

IN REALITY I WAS FULL OF EMOTION, LOYALTY, AND TENDERNESS. BUT I KNEW THAT HERE, IN MY LIFE, THAT WONT GET ME ANYWHERE.

SOON MY CELL RANG. OPPORTUNITY WAS WAITING IN KEYPORT, ONLY 30MINUTES AWAY.

HE WAS HESITANT AND DIDNT KNOW IF IT WAS A SET-UP: WAS I THE POLICE OR AN ACTUAL PERSON OR SCAM; MAYBE A CATFISH? SO I TEXTED HIM A FEW EXCLUSIVE PICTURES TO SET HIS MIND AT EASE AND LET OTHER PARTS TAKE OVER. THE MERLOT SAID, "IT'S ON!" AND SO IT WAS.

I ARRIVED AND TEXTED "I'M HERE".

HE WALKED OUTSIDE...HIS MOUTH DROPPED, AND HE SAID "YOU WILL BE SOMEONE'S WIFE ONE DAY".

I STOOD THERE IN MY YELLOW SHORTS, SNAKESKIN TOP AND LITTLE PUMPS, SPEECHLESS, THINKING, "IS THAT WHAT HE REALLY SAW WHEN HE LOOKED AT ME?"

HE WAS DARK, SHORT AND KIND OF HANDSOME. BUT HIS CONVERSTAION IS WHAT MOVED ME IN THE DIRECTION I NEEDED TO GO.

WE WALKED INTO HIS HOUSE AND SAT ON THE LIVING ROOM COUCH. HE ASKED, "WHO ARE YOU?"

I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO ANWSER THAT QUESTION. WHAT WAS HE REALLY ASKING ME? SO, I SAID NOTHING AT ALL, EXCEPT

"LET'S GET STARTED".

HE ASKED, "HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE? WHEN I LOOK AT YOU, I SEE ONLY PAIN, TO WHICH I KNOW WELL".

THIS CONVERSATION HAD MY MIND RACING; I WAS CONFUSED. THE MERLOT NEVER TALKED LIKE THIS BEFORE.

I STOOD UP TO LEAVE. HE STOPPED ME AND INVITED ME TO CHURCH WITH HIM THE NEXT NEXT DAY, SUNDAY.

I BELIEVED IN A SUPERNATURAL POWER BUT HAD NEVER STUDIED OR WALKED IN FAITH. I CONSIDERED MYSELF A SPIRITUAL BEING. KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW , A SPIRITUAL BEING IS BIPOLAR AND UNSTABLE. IF YOU ARE SPIRIRTUAL, YOU ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DIFFERENT SPIRITS ENTERING YOU, NOT ALL KIND.

FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. (EPHESIANS 6:12 KJV)

I ACCEPTED THE INVITION.

HE WAS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, A FOLLWER OF THE BIBLE. HE IS ALSO A MAN, SO HE IS A SINNER, AS WE ALL ARE.

SOMEONE MUST HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR ME, MAYBE A PAST GRANDMOTHER OR PERHAPS MY OWN MOTHER BECAUSE AS HE FOLLOWED CHRIST, I ALLOWED HIM TO LEAD ME.

SUNDAY MORNING, I FELT LIKE I DIDNT BELONG; I FELT AWKWARD IN CHURCH AMONGST THE "RIGHTEOUS"

BUT I BLOCKED NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND OPENED MY MIND TO THE MESSAGE:

FREEDOM: FREEDOM OF THE MIND. THE LESSON WAS: CHOOSE TO FOLLOW A BOOK OF GUIDENCE AND DIRECTION AND IT WILL LEAD TO FULLFILMENT OF LIFE, SECURITY AND A PEACE OF MIND. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY DIRECTION AND I FELT THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TOO MANY CHOICES IN LIFE. MOST OPTIONS I TRIED; DID NOT WORK. BUT THIS TIME IF FELT DIFFERENT; I TOOK A CHANCE AND MADE ANOTHER CHOICE. I CHOSE TO BELIEVE. AFTER THAT DAY, I TURNED TO THE BIBLE FOR MY GUIDANCE.

I FOUND MY LIFE'S PURPOSE AND DIRECTION THROUGH KNOWING HIM, CHRIST.

THAT NIGHT, THE MERLOT AND THAT ONE DATE CHANGED MY LIFE.