Some people are lucky in that no matter what happens, how they look, what they do, or what others do to them, they always seem to have a positive outlook about life in general and themselves in particular. Some might call them optimists, others may declare them naive, but the funny thing is such people probably wouldn't care what other people named them anyway.
For the rest of us more practical people, and I like to think I have lots of company, looking in the mirror can sometimes be a difficult chore and when we finally work up the courage all too often what we see isn't all that wonderful - at least so far as we see it. I can remember as a high school graduate, barely 18 years old and full of angst and self-doubt to the point I almost wouldn't even look in a mirror. The alarming image that looked back at me of a skinny girl with underdeveloped boobs and pony legs was not what I would dream about. Heck, I didn't even have to dream. All I had to do was look at the other college girls my age to realize what they had and I didn't.
Then the unimaginable miracle happened... the older brother of one of my best friends asked me out! Like wow, talk about hitting the jackpot! A twenty year-old hunk, the object of desire of most every girl in the neighborhood, wanted to date me. Sure he had a rep for "imposing himself" on the girls he dated but that just made it all the better so far as I would concerned in that he wanted to do it to me! Even Sharon, Steve's sister who was my age, was jealous of me. I knew she had a crush on her brother although he never gave her the time of day, let alone a second look which was too bad as she was pretty amazingly hot in my opinion.
Sure enough, on our first date Steve expected me to give him a blowjob. He didn't even really ask, he just told me. Well, needless to say there was no way I was about to tell him I'd never done one before. I'd seen enough porn to know the basics of what I was supposed to do. Also, my mom had given me some advice when I went to her with my worries, even including a banana for a teaching tool. I even swallowed my first time although it was more because I was surprised when he suddenly ejaculated without any warning than any preplanning on my part. I must've been good enough as he asked me out again and it wasn't long before I willingly gave him my virginity. It made me so proud to finally joined the ranks of the other girls in college who put out for their boyfriends, especially to a guy like Steve.
Steve and I dated for the next six months which became the highlight of my life up until then. Until he left he was the only boy I had sex with (well, his brother once but that was just to tease him) and he pretty much stuck just with me. I felt so proud walking alongside him, knowing that everyone knew what we were doing as Steve of course had immediately bragged to all his friends about doing me. My parents were proud of me as well. It was so cool to see them smiling when I would lead Steve up to my bedroom. Yes, for a brief period of time I was in heaven!
Then the most horrible thing imaginable happened - Steve's mom was transferred and suddenly he was in southern California, gone forever. Once I got over the initial heartbreak and shock I realized that there were other fish in the sea. It didn't hurt that he was barely gone before the other boys to start hitting on me given the reputation I'd earned being with Steve. It was like they all wanted to know was if I was really as good a lay as Steve had been saying. While it was different from the more loving attention that Steve gave me - I had been madly in love with him, it WAS attention. Indeed it made me feel much better when I looked in the mirror knowing that so many boys wanted the girl I was looking at. It's not that the image changed so much as it was how I perceived that image.
After losing Steve I wasn't ready to have that sort of relationship again. Indeed, I didn't know if I ever COULD after how I'd felt about him. Also, I learned that going out with a new guy was much more fun than dating the same guy over and over. On our second date they knew what was coming and it became just about the sex but the first time it was like a fun game for me. My usual approach was to date a guy twice, maybe three times at most. The first time he just got a blowjob and I wouldn't let him touch me under my clothes. The next time I might let him touch me and even undress me. I might just masturbate for him to watch or depending on how horny I was even let him fuck me but usually I made him wait longer for that. The third time, if he qualified for a third time, was almost always just for the sex. Really, after doing that why bother dating him again just to do the same thing over again?
Thus I found my niche. Some girls find their self-worth by being a cheerleader, others by being involved in school politics or with some club, or sports. Some might even join an organization outside of school. Unfortunately I couldn't stand the cheerleaders, I was totally a klutz when it came to most sports, and I had no real interest in school clubs or other organizations beside my church groups and bible studies. While certainly not for everyone, that's why becoming the acknowledged neighborhood slut was the perfect role for me. First, I LOVED sex and so anything that got me laid as often as possible was alright by me. Next, I loved the attention it gave me, even the so-called "negative" attention from some of the people in my college and the faculty, and even in my own family. As some famous actress once said, ANY attention is GOOD attention (or words to that effect).
Perhaps the single most impactful event so far as my ego and self-esteem were concerned was when my dad first had sex with me. My mom had insisted he wait until I turned 18 but he didn't wait even one day more! When people ask me why I still have sex with my daddy so many years later, my "politically correct" answer is to say that I do to because as his daughter I have an obligation to submit myself to my father in every way, even sexually. I tell people that I do it to provide him an outlet for the needs and urges that build up in him and which need release. I say that I do it because I love my father and want to give myself to him in the most intimate and personal manner possible.
While all that's true, it's certainly not the entire truth. My father has never forced me to have sex with him and has never made me feel obligated to have sex with him. That's all ME talking and my interpretation of scripture as to how to properly honor my father. As for satisfying his needs, now that my parents are divorced and he is free to pursue whatever girl he wants, it's not like he needs a 27 year-old daughter to satiate his cravings. Yes, I DO love him but as I've always said, you don't have to have sex with your father to tell him you love him.