Good topic!

My family and friends know I pole. I am a very honest person and I don’t believe in hiding things. From day one I let people know I was poling. I post about it on Facebook. I’ve run into some negativity from my mom and brother mainly. My dad was weird about it at first. He always use to reference Chris Rock’s joke about a father’s job is to keep his daughter off the pole. Once I showed him some pics and actually sent him a video of me poling, he realized that I wasn’t stripping and that it truly is an athletic activity. (I did send him a very non-sexy video of me basically just doing tricks and spins.) My mom was very nervous about it at first, but again after seeing a video and pictures she became accepting. The oldest of my two brothers has been the biggest challenge. He is 20 years old and he has a certain image of pole dancers. When I posted a few pictures on Facebook of me poling (first picture was of me doing a Peter Pan and the other was me just doing a pole sit) he immediately starting making negative comments on my album. I have confronted him and told him that I don’t strip, though I see nothing wrong with women who do. I explained that I do it for fitness. I told him to hit my mom up for the video, but he refused. I have sort of accepted that it makes him uncomfortable and that he’s not cool with it. I at least expect the negativity now, but I hope that one day he’ll come around.

I hate that everyone automatically thinks girls who pole are all strippers and "loose," because that’s just not the case. I’ve had luck getting a few family and friends to actually go to a beginners pole class with me to see what it’s about. With all cases, my guests have left looking for a place to pole back in their town or have signed up at the studio I go to. Once they realize it’s fun and not dirty, they love it!