One of My Super Powers, Invisibility… Christine McDonald
One of my super powers, when I was on the streets, was invisibility. It seemed that the only people who see you, a prostitute, are the ones who intend to exploit you. Truthfully, though, I wasn’t that different from other young women.
I loved clear, blue skies with marshmallowy clouds floating lazily across them. I loved hot bubble baths and lovely smells, be it the smells of flowers growing in the spring, bread baking in the bakery on the Avenue, or freshly cut grass. I dreamed of times when I had felt safe and wasn’t hungry. I loved girlie colors, and things that were soft to the touch. I loved the sounds of music, and my heart always skipped when I heard the church bells in the distance on Sunday mornings. Somehow, those bells promised that everything would be all right.
I hated mirrors, as I think many of us do. I’d look down when I was near one, only peeking at the clothes I was wearing. I never dared to look myself in the eye. Somehow, that kept me safe and disconnected from the life I lived.
I think that at one time I had dreams, before prostitution, violence, homelessness, addiction, and hopelessness. But in the midst of the life I lived, I dared not dream of a life outside of it. Something better did not exist for people like me.
“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald
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