How do SPs do it? How do waitresses do it? On their feet all day, customers sending food back and complaining, boss yells at them, the smell of the greasy food nauseating, remembering what everyone ordered-all for minimum wage and have to smile sweetly for a buck tip! I met an educated young SP recently who said "I wasn't forced into prostitution after I graduated, I was forced into retail." There are lots of men and women who do jobs that most people wouldn't want to ever do, but they do it. Why do we consider sex with strangers so degrading compared with cleaning sewers or other people's toilets? For me sex is pleasure, sex is good. Some people have hang ups about sex. Some don't. Sounds like the OP was unhappy with himself when he met this woman from craigslist and he is projecting his feelings of disgust with himself onto the woman and now onto SPs in general.
Personally, I get a thrill from anonymous sex-what will he look like, what's going to happen-goes through my mind. Sex is never the same twice. As an SP I'm stretching my boundaries and exploring myself sexually. I sleep with lots of men that I might not otherwise have slept with and most of the time it's enjoyable. It's exciting, fun and I get paid very well too. For me, the sex isn't the bad part of the job. People canceling at the last minute, no shows, weirdos on the phone, etc. It's the administration side that is bothersome-sometimes.
I'm an independent SP so I'm in complete control of what happens during a session and I keep 100% of the money. Not everyone is as lucky as me though. I'm sure lots of women hate the anonymous sex, certain sex acts they perform and even the men involved. They, hopefully, will only do it as short a time as possible and when they have enough money they will stop and find other work. When I was a student, I did lots of summer jobs that were less than desireable for low pay. When I got the money I needed for school or to travel, I stopped doing those jobs-they were short term solutions to meeting financial goals. I'm sure lots of SPs do this for a short time and then get out.
Again ask yourself, "How do waitresses do it?"