I once read an article, or was it a short story more than 20 years ago, that started with a small girl weighing herself on her house scales.
"Look how much I'm worth!" She exclaimed, in her innocence. In the story. Or the article.
The text then shifted and expanded about self-worth and how we value ourselves. Good read, even though I don't really remember what it said.
Decades later, I saw another girl, in Bangkok, driven near tears because her 'client' was trying very hard to bargain her 'value'.
He basically wanted a 500 baht discount. To her, I could guess that it meant her being was 500 baht cheaper.
The asshole punter obviously did not know the way of the place.
He should have simply said no, he did not have the money. And go away. Thus, he would be the one with the shame, and not putting the girl through one of the most humiliating experiences ever - to negotiate for one's worth with a heartless stranger.
Nowadays, I see people do that all the time.
And how much is it we are worth? Are we even worth it?
No one can answer these. No one can put a price on us, except for ourselves.
No one can value us other than ourselves.
And yet, sometimes, some people put too cheap a price. Some, sell dearly. Too much, for nothing.
I know my value. My worth. It's USD400 million.
Not a totally impossible number. Not entirely small, either.
For USD400 million, I'll do anything. But not everything. There are still some things in the world that mere money - or sex - can't buy.
