While fixing up The Compassion Center, I made a very interesting discovery about the business that existed at what is now The Compassion Center. Did you know that our Center was a “happy endings” business just a few short months ago? What a wonderful transition…our location went from a place to temporarily receive “love” and make guys feel good to a Center that helps all people feel love, happiness and joy throughout their lives.
The image that you see shows the facility where The Compassion Center is located BEFORE I started to fix it up. When I first met the owner of the building, I asked him what kind of business previously occupied the facility. He said he wasn’t too sure, but thought it was a “nail salon”.
After meeting some of my fellow business owners, it seems that they knew exactly what kind of business was there before me and it certainly wasn’t a “nail salon”. I had to laugh because it was no secret that our facility was a “happy endings” parlor.
For those that are no familiar with this term (and I must admit that I wasn’t familiar with this term until someone explained it to me), the Urban Dictionary defines this as “When a massouse feels inclined to finish your session w/ oral sex or manual release (usually for an extra twenty dollars).”
I kind of got the feeling that the place was, as my old Taiwanese clients use to call it, a “sexy message” place due to the fact that I had a couple of men walk into the Center while I was fixing it up and they very quickly exited it (or should I say hightailed it after they realized it was no longer a “sexy message” joint). I had to laugh when a young guy came in recently and said “Isn’t this the place where I can get a facial”? He asked me this with such a straight face while he was staring at the Meditation cushions.
The images above show The Compassion Center as it now looks. I worked for six weeks straight to turn this facility into what you see above. I worked through The Flu, through exhaustion, through incredibly long hours to get the facility to where it is now.
It was something that I did out of my love for the people of Staten Island and surrounding areas. It is my gift to all those that are seeking solutions to make them feel happy in their lives. It is for those who have been struggling with Heroine and Prescription Drug addiction, struggling with Depression, Anxiety, Grief, Sorrow, Lack of Self-Esteem and so much more.
I love hearing about the history of our Center. It was once Smitty’s Sporting Goods. It was also a place that taught “pole dancing” and even offered Yoga classes. Our incredible Yoga teacher, Clarissa Alliano, actually taught Yoga at our facility years ago while it was a pole dancing studio. What an incredible reaction when she returned to see this space.
I hope you enjoy this little bit of history. As we think about the past, our Meditation teacher (Thupten Puntsok) and I have committed to building a very spiritual healing center. The more he teaches, and the more you come to Meditate, the more a very powerful feeling of goodwill shall grow at The Compassion Center.
