Character study on the "crew"

Caution. This next post is a bit provocative and discusses some racy topics. It's tasteful, but some of the subject matter might be inappropriate for young readers.

As a journalist, sometimes you get chances to step back and see how people think, and how things work.

Back in 2002, while I was in an unnamed electronics store, I met an interesting group of young women, that I shall call the "crew", that had an interesting take and opinion on life. The young women were single, and not in serious relationships. Some might call them gold diggers, others might call them predators, getting what they could from all of the guys in the local area.

These young women let me in their small circle and for the better part of a year, I had a chance to see their lifestyle firsthand. Here are some of my observances. A lot of this is done from memory.

I called her the Ring Leader. Every time I saw her I called her that and every time she heard it she cracked a devious smile. It was a devious smile that let me knew she was asserting her authority. The Ring Leader always knew where the parties were and could get her girls to surround her in five minutes flat.

The Ring Leader bounced around from man to man, but had what she called a steady patron. This patron provided the cash flow and a vehicle. He was the hook that the Ring Leader used to improve herself, so that she could nab bigger fish. If it was a new outfit, the patron purchased it; if it was a surgery she needed to enhance herself; the patron paid for it. Everything was a means to an end, and the end goal in mind was partying.

Often times the Ring leader rolled with the Lieutenant. The Lt. was a young woman in her 20s who had a child. She was the looker in the group. The person that the Ring Leader needed as a draw for the guys to come in. Initially the Lt. was weary of me, not wanting to share details around me, because I could be a potential mark (gullible fan). But after it was established I had no interest she opened up a bit more.

What was fascinating was the discussion between these two. They often "dated" the same men and provided specific details and attributes about the men. Nothing vulgar, but more-so about the amount of money the men made, the kinds of cars they drove; and if they had children.

Men were thought of as chattel or commodities. Relationships were an afterthought - they were more like a business deal, or a transaction. The crew would host huge parties in hotels that were rumored to be provocative. These parties would often be massive fundraising events where men were charged a great deal for the entertainment they received.

I remember at one point pulling one of the crew to the side and asking her what her goals were? What did she want out of life? The answer to that was a flash of a smile and terse look. "I just want to have fun."

I never found out what became of these young women. Once I left that place I fell out of touch. I can tell you this, I learned a lot of lessons and got some insight on how "gold diggers" thought. I found that these young women lived a life style full of fast times and pain. Miscarriages, abortions, drugs, abusive relationships; struggles with sexuality. There lives resembled a Tyler Perry movie without the proverbial happy ending.

It wasn't hard to be mystified by these stories. I guess now being the father of a little girl, they provide a cautionary tale for me as a parent. These women were missing something. They were longing for something, and that longing translated into some pretty obscene behavior.