Has anyone's M/s experience been very much like this? How so, or how different? For me personally, it is extremely similar to my 4 year M/s relationship with a few minor differences. "You will have to ask permission to even climb into bed, or sit on a chair. Most slaves are allowed a cushion on the floor that they do not need permission to sit upon, but very little else. You will even need permission to eat at the table with your Master." This quote for example, didn't describe me and my slave but pretty much everything else is spot on or nearly so.
So you want to be a slave: the Realities
I decided to write this article because I have seen so many submissives come into the lifestyle expecting everything to be dream-like and perfect. I don't wish to ruin anyone's dreams, or turn them from the activity, but what I wish to do is to explain how things really are. Being a slave can be, and is for me, a wonderful life. It's everything I wanted it to be. It is also more than I ever expected, and had someone explained the realities to me prior to my decision, it would have made my transition so much easier. For the purpose of this article, I am addressing issues related to being a 24/7 slave. These comments are from my viewpoint, which is that of a female slave with a male Master. By no means do I wish to exclude Domme's or male slaves. For them, I cannot comment from personal experience. This is just my view from a real-time experience.
First, there are a few things you need to discover for and about yourself. Do you wish to be in this type relationship 24/7? Perhaps you only wish to be in it during the scenes. Maybe you want to role-play at only during certain times. There are many ways this activity can be done, but you have to figure out what is right for you.
Second, you need to learn to be honest with yourself. Figure out what you will and will not do, and what is a "maybe". Search inside yourself for what you really want, and when you find it, be honest to anyone you talk to. Don't agree to something long-term that you know you will not be able accomplish. Ask yourself some hard questions. The rest of this article will give you aspects to contemplate so you can base your decisions on reality, and not someone else's dreams of how it should be.
Are you prepared to surrender 100% control of your life to someone else? 24/7 slaves do this. Role-playing would mean entering into this relationship only for the time agreed upon that the Master would have the total control. Once the scene is over, everything returns to normal.
Do you enjoy country music? Maybe you love Rock and Roll. Consider this. The Master who's collar you will eventually wear, may only like classical or another type of music that you don't enjoy. Are you prepared to give up those selections and only listen to His music? This type sacrifice can apply to many other things you currently enjoy. For myself, I love old love songs of any type, and my Master is into Hard Rock. Because of His preferences, I rarely get to listen to my songs. But, when I am a good girl, at times, He does permit me to listen to my choice of music, as long as I get my assigned tasks and chores done. Note, I said, "permitted to". Something as simple as listening to the radio is a reward for me. It is not a given that you will be permitted to enjoy even this little pleasure whenever you wish. These limitations can apply to many areas of your life such as TV, choices of food or friends, just about anywhere anything! Is there a certain style of clothes you love? Certain colors and scents you wouldn't be caught without? If your Master doesn't approve of them, you may be wearing a totally different style with colors you never would have dreamed of. He may lay your clothes out for you every morning. Are you prepared to abide happily by His choices? If He asked you to wear something very skimpy to someplace simple like the grocery store, could you do this without hesitation? I am lucky in the fact that my Master lets me chose my own clothes most of the time. But at anytime, should He decide that He wants me to wear something else, I am to change immediately. Trust me, He does exercise this right. I have learned to always ask Him what He would like me to wear if we are going someplace special.
Are you prepared to change your hairstyle, length, or color to please your Master? All of these will belong to Him once you accept your collar as will everything else that once belonged to you. You will no longer own anything. From the time you take His collar, everything will be His. It will no longer be "your" car or "your" clothes, but "His", on loan to you as He sees fit. If He should so choose, you will not be permitted to wear clothes at all. This will be His choice, not yours. Remember, you will have given up all rights to make these choices for yourself.
You have a favorite chair, or a certain way you like to sit or walk? Your Master will decide whether you sit on furniture or on the floor. He will have the say if you are to cross your legs, or sit with them spread wide-open. You will have to ask permission to even climb into bed, or sit on a chair. Most slaves are allowed a cushion on the floor that they do not need permission to sit upon, but very little else. You will even need permission to eat at the table with your Master.
It's been a long hard day at work. You get home and want nothing more than to relax in a tub and go to bed early. Well, you won't be able to. Being tired, ill, or just in a bad mood does not excuse you from your required tasks. You are still required to do them: prepare His meal, and go to bed when He tells you to. Retiring for bed usually occurs at a set time, even if you are not ready to go. There will not be an "I am too tired" or "I don't feel well": nothing of the kind. Unless your Master has excused you from your tasks and chores, you will remain responsible for making sure His needs and wants are filled: no matter what. It is your job to inform your Master of your physical health status. One of your main jobs will be to take care of and protect, His possessions. You being are the most prized one He owns. As long as you let your Master know how you are feeling, He will make sure that your tasks will be appropriate to your capabilities.
Many come into this lifestyle looking to be used sexually, to service their Master at His whim. They never consider other aspects. The main part of being a slave is to be of service to your Master, and not to be serviced for yourself. However, being readily available to Him at all times is also an unspoken expectation. The old excuse "not tonight dear, I have a headache" doesn't work in a D/s relationship. In order to provide Him pleasure, you must also express to Him the pleasure of the moment for you as well. Never make your Master feel this is a chore to you: something you would rather not do, but will only because you have to. If your Master tells you to do something, it will not be up to you to question Him. You will be required to respond with no questions asked. At a later time (if this is permitted in your relationship), you may ask Him for permission to speak on an equal level. If He gives permission, this will be your opportunity to ask your questions. However, it is important to ask in a way so as not to question His authority, but at the same time to satisfy your curiosity.
Do you feel being a slave is to be coerced: forced into servitude? Do you think you couldn't do this unless you were? Then think again. Slaves enter into this relationship of their own free will. This is not the day of forced slavery; it is a matter of choice. Yours! You are the one who will decide to give over your power to your Master. You will be doing this, not because you are forced to obey, but because you need to. Yes, during the course of your relationship there will be times you will be forced to do something, but it will never be something that goes against who you are. Your Master may feel obeying this command will help you to grow into the best person you can be, or will help you break out of an inhibition you have.
How is your temper? Are you quick to fly off-of-the-handle when you are upset? Or are you laid back, accepting anything and everything, and then go off to sulk because your feelings were hurt? A Master does not wish to have a doormat for a slave nor does He desire to be told how things should be. Learning when and how to say things will become very important in your relationship. If you do not tell your Master when something is bothering you, then you have no right whatsoever to become upset. However wonderful and omnipotent He may seem, He is not a mind reader: unless you tell Him, He won't know. The key, as I said a moment ago, is in how you tell Him.
Your self-discipline is very important in this relationship. Do you tend to put things off until the last possible moment? You won't be able to do this when you are owned. There will be chores and tasks your Master will assign that He expects to be done in a timely fashion set by Him, not by you. Your Master's wants and needs will be put before your own. Self-discipline is similar to self-control. Your ability to follow complete assignments made by your Master will be very important. As a slave, you will need to be able to control your own actions well enough to be able to remain within the boundaries set for you by Him. If He says you can't do something, simply, you can't. Doing it anyway, and not telling Him doesn't make it right. In the case of a Master/slave relationship, what you don't know can hurt you, as well as the relationship you have worked so hard to build. Even a simple "white lie" can destroy the trust so necessary to really establish this type relationship.
As to wants and needs of your own: do you know the difference between the two? If not, I strongly recommend you figure them out before entering into servitude. Sometimes the two are hard to distinguish, but it will become important that you do so. Your Master will ensure all your "needs" are taken care of, but the "wants" will be His to allow or not, as He sees fit. Needs are the necessities of life that are required in order for us to remain mentally and physically healthy. They allow us to grow emotionally and spiritually. If you can survive without something, then it is a want. Wants are usually given as a reward for good behavior.
In order to be a slave, there will be many things you have to learn to accept within yourself and adapt to. Your primary purpose in life will be to see to your Masters pleasure (both mentally and physically) in any manner He should desire. In order to do this, you will have to learn your Master well. Find out what pleases and displeases Him. By this, I do not mean just sexually. You will learn that sex is but a small part of your relationship. Learn to anticipate His every need and desire without being pushy. His needs and desires will encompass intellectual stimulation, physical pleasure, emotional support, and many other things unique to Him. Remember - physical does not equal sexual. Physical pleasure may include, but is not limited to, touch, favorite foods, textures, clothing, and colors as examples. It will be your job to make sure His physical pleasures are met in everyway. Think of the five senses, and make His environment pleasing to all of them. Never forget - the most pleasing thing in His environment should be you.
As His slave, it will be up to you to figure out what pleases your Master. He should not have to ask constantly for the basic things - you should have learned them. If His glass is empty, quietly and unobtrusively refill it. Remember, you are doing this for His pleasure not your own. Just because He does not notice and praise you doesn't mean you are doing it wrong. Look at His smile. Is He comfortable? If He looks happy and content, then you have done well, and should bask in His content. Always remember that you do this for Him and not for your own satisfaction. Your happiness should come from serving Him and His being happy.
As I said in the beginning of this article, I am not trying to scare you away from the world of D/s. My goal is to make sure that, when you enter our lifestyle, you do so with your eyes wide open, fully knowing what to expect. The road will not be an easy one. You will have to re-learn much of what you once took for granted: things you just did without thinking, like simply sitting in a chair. These are habits we never even think about anymore. That is, until we find a Master.
Everything else you learned before reading this article is probably true. Being a slave is a wonderful life: one where you are taken care of. Most decisions are out of your hands and in those of your Masters. But, many choices will still be left up to you. Most Masters want a slave who is smart, has a sense of humor, and a will of their own. There is no pleasure in owning a doormat who just sits or is only walked upon. He will become bored very fast. Being yourself is the best advice I was given, and I have found this to be absolutely true for me.
You will find being a slave everything you dreamed of and so much more if you enter this life knowing more of what to expect. If you are meant to be in the lifestyle, you will find that, where you were once only walked through life, you will be gliding on air. Parts of you that never were complete will then become whole. In relinquishing control, I have found freedom: freedom to find and be the person I am inside.
It is my hope that, after reading this article, you will be able to make a more informed choice about entering this lifestyle. Never forget that, one of the most important requirements for existing in this lifestyle is honesty. Honesty with yourself first. However, you will find that this is not as easy as it sounds. Once you learn to do this, you will find yourself at peace and able to enter your servitude with clearer mind, knowing where you are and where you want to be. When you accept your Masters collar, you give up all your rights. Your friends, your life - nothing will remain yours. Being a slave means giving up so much more than you would if you were only being submissive. You give up all rights in your life. Slave isn't just a word; it's a way of life, a defined action. Be well, my friend, and I hope you enjoy this lifestyle as much as I have come to love being in it.
© 2000 miria_hunter@softhome.net
So you want to be a slave: the Realities
I decided to write this article because I have seen so many submissives come into the lifestyle expecting everything to be dream-like and perfect. I don't wish to ruin anyone's dreams, or turn them from the activity, but what I wish to do is to explain how things really are. Being a slave can be, and is for me, a wonderful life. It's everything I wanted it to be. It is also more than I ever expected, and had someone explained the realities to me prior to my decision, it would have made my transition so much easier. For the purpose of this article, I am addressing issues related to being a 24/7 slave. These comments are from my viewpoint, which is that of a female slave with a male Master. By no means do I wish to exclude Domme's or male slaves. For them, I cannot comment from personal experience. This is just my view from a real-time experience.
First, there are a few things you need to discover for and about yourself. Do you wish to be in this type relationship 24/7? Perhaps you only wish to be in it during the scenes. Maybe you want to role-play at only during certain times. There are many ways this activity can be done, but you have to figure out what is right for you.
Second, you need to learn to be honest with yourself. Figure out what you will and will not do, and what is a "maybe". Search inside yourself for what you really want, and when you find it, be honest to anyone you talk to. Don't agree to something long-term that you know you will not be able accomplish. Ask yourself some hard questions. The rest of this article will give you aspects to contemplate so you can base your decisions on reality, and not someone else's dreams of how it should be.
Are you prepared to surrender 100% control of your life to someone else? 24/7 slaves do this. Role-playing would mean entering into this relationship only for the time agreed upon that the Master would have the total control. Once the scene is over, everything returns to normal.
Do you enjoy country music? Maybe you love Rock and Roll. Consider this. The Master who's collar you will eventually wear, may only like classical or another type of music that you don't enjoy. Are you prepared to give up those selections and only listen to His music? This type sacrifice can apply to many other things you currently enjoy. For myself, I love old love songs of any type, and my Master is into Hard Rock. Because of His preferences, I rarely get to listen to my songs. But, when I am a good girl, at times, He does permit me to listen to my choice of music, as long as I get my assigned tasks and chores done. Note, I said, "permitted to". Something as simple as listening to the radio is a reward for me. It is not a given that you will be permitted to enjoy even this little pleasure whenever you wish. These limitations can apply to many areas of your life such as TV, choices of food or friends, just about anywhere anything! Is there a certain style of clothes you love? Certain colors and scents you wouldn't be caught without? If your Master doesn't approve of them, you may be wearing a totally different style with colors you never would have dreamed of. He may lay your clothes out for you every morning. Are you prepared to abide happily by His choices? If He asked you to wear something very skimpy to someplace simple like the grocery store, could you do this without hesitation? I am lucky in the fact that my Master lets me chose my own clothes most of the time. But at anytime, should He decide that He wants me to wear something else, I am to change immediately. Trust me, He does exercise this right. I have learned to always ask Him what He would like me to wear if we are going someplace special.
Are you prepared to change your hairstyle, length, or color to please your Master? All of these will belong to Him once you accept your collar as will everything else that once belonged to you. You will no longer own anything. From the time you take His collar, everything will be His. It will no longer be "your" car or "your" clothes, but "His", on loan to you as He sees fit. If He should so choose, you will not be permitted to wear clothes at all. This will be His choice, not yours. Remember, you will have given up all rights to make these choices for yourself.
You have a favorite chair, or a certain way you like to sit or walk? Your Master will decide whether you sit on furniture or on the floor. He will have the say if you are to cross your legs, or sit with them spread wide-open. You will have to ask permission to even climb into bed, or sit on a chair. Most slaves are allowed a cushion on the floor that they do not need permission to sit upon, but very little else. You will even need permission to eat at the table with your Master.
It's been a long hard day at work. You get home and want nothing more than to relax in a tub and go to bed early. Well, you won't be able to. Being tired, ill, or just in a bad mood does not excuse you from your required tasks. You are still required to do them: prepare His meal, and go to bed when He tells you to. Retiring for bed usually occurs at a set time, even if you are not ready to go. There will not be an "I am too tired" or "I don't feel well": nothing of the kind. Unless your Master has excused you from your tasks and chores, you will remain responsible for making sure His needs and wants are filled: no matter what. It is your job to inform your Master of your physical health status. One of your main jobs will be to take care of and protect, His possessions. You being are the most prized one He owns. As long as you let your Master know how you are feeling, He will make sure that your tasks will be appropriate to your capabilities.
Many come into this lifestyle looking to be used sexually, to service their Master at His whim. They never consider other aspects. The main part of being a slave is to be of service to your Master, and not to be serviced for yourself. However, being readily available to Him at all times is also an unspoken expectation. The old excuse "not tonight dear, I have a headache" doesn't work in a D/s relationship. In order to provide Him pleasure, you must also express to Him the pleasure of the moment for you as well. Never make your Master feel this is a chore to you: something you would rather not do, but will only because you have to. If your Master tells you to do something, it will not be up to you to question Him. You will be required to respond with no questions asked. At a later time (if this is permitted in your relationship), you may ask Him for permission to speak on an equal level. If He gives permission, this will be your opportunity to ask your questions. However, it is important to ask in a way so as not to question His authority, but at the same time to satisfy your curiosity.
Do you feel being a slave is to be coerced: forced into servitude? Do you think you couldn't do this unless you were? Then think again. Slaves enter into this relationship of their own free will. This is not the day of forced slavery; it is a matter of choice. Yours! You are the one who will decide to give over your power to your Master. You will be doing this, not because you are forced to obey, but because you need to. Yes, during the course of your relationship there will be times you will be forced to do something, but it will never be something that goes against who you are. Your Master may feel obeying this command will help you to grow into the best person you can be, or will help you break out of an inhibition you have.
How is your temper? Are you quick to fly off-of-the-handle when you are upset? Or are you laid back, accepting anything and everything, and then go off to sulk because your feelings were hurt? A Master does not wish to have a doormat for a slave nor does He desire to be told how things should be. Learning when and how to say things will become very important in your relationship. If you do not tell your Master when something is bothering you, then you have no right whatsoever to become upset. However wonderful and omnipotent He may seem, He is not a mind reader: unless you tell Him, He won't know. The key, as I said a moment ago, is in how you tell Him.
Your self-discipline is very important in this relationship. Do you tend to put things off until the last possible moment? You won't be able to do this when you are owned. There will be chores and tasks your Master will assign that He expects to be done in a timely fashion set by Him, not by you. Your Master's wants and needs will be put before your own. Self-discipline is similar to self-control. Your ability to follow complete assignments made by your Master will be very important. As a slave, you will need to be able to control your own actions well enough to be able to remain within the boundaries set for you by Him. If He says you can't do something, simply, you can't. Doing it anyway, and not telling Him doesn't make it right. In the case of a Master/slave relationship, what you don't know can hurt you, as well as the relationship you have worked so hard to build. Even a simple "white lie" can destroy the trust so necessary to really establish this type relationship.
As to wants and needs of your own: do you know the difference between the two? If not, I strongly recommend you figure them out before entering into servitude. Sometimes the two are hard to distinguish, but it will become important that you do so. Your Master will ensure all your "needs" are taken care of, but the "wants" will be His to allow or not, as He sees fit. Needs are the necessities of life that are required in order for us to remain mentally and physically healthy. They allow us to grow emotionally and spiritually. If you can survive without something, then it is a want. Wants are usually given as a reward for good behavior.
In order to be a slave, there will be many things you have to learn to accept within yourself and adapt to. Your primary purpose in life will be to see to your Masters pleasure (both mentally and physically) in any manner He should desire. In order to do this, you will have to learn your Master well. Find out what pleases and displeases Him. By this, I do not mean just sexually. You will learn that sex is but a small part of your relationship. Learn to anticipate His every need and desire without being pushy. His needs and desires will encompass intellectual stimulation, physical pleasure, emotional support, and many other things unique to Him. Remember - physical does not equal sexual. Physical pleasure may include, but is not limited to, touch, favorite foods, textures, clothing, and colors as examples. It will be your job to make sure His physical pleasures are met in everyway. Think of the five senses, and make His environment pleasing to all of them. Never forget - the most pleasing thing in His environment should be you.
As His slave, it will be up to you to figure out what pleases your Master. He should not have to ask constantly for the basic things - you should have learned them. If His glass is empty, quietly and unobtrusively refill it. Remember, you are doing this for His pleasure not your own. Just because He does not notice and praise you doesn't mean you are doing it wrong. Look at His smile. Is He comfortable? If He looks happy and content, then you have done well, and should bask in His content. Always remember that you do this for Him and not for your own satisfaction. Your happiness should come from serving Him and His being happy.
As I said in the beginning of this article, I am not trying to scare you away from the world of D/s. My goal is to make sure that, when you enter our lifestyle, you do so with your eyes wide open, fully knowing what to expect. The road will not be an easy one. You will have to re-learn much of what you once took for granted: things you just did without thinking, like simply sitting in a chair. These are habits we never even think about anymore. That is, until we find a Master.
Everything else you learned before reading this article is probably true. Being a slave is a wonderful life: one where you are taken care of. Most decisions are out of your hands and in those of your Masters. But, many choices will still be left up to you. Most Masters want a slave who is smart, has a sense of humor, and a will of their own. There is no pleasure in owning a doormat who just sits or is only walked upon. He will become bored very fast. Being yourself is the best advice I was given, and I have found this to be absolutely true for me.
You will find being a slave everything you dreamed of and so much more if you enter this life knowing more of what to expect. If you are meant to be in the lifestyle, you will find that, where you were once only walked through life, you will be gliding on air. Parts of you that never were complete will then become whole. In relinquishing control, I have found freedom: freedom to find and be the person I am inside.
It is my hope that, after reading this article, you will be able to make a more informed choice about entering this lifestyle. Never forget that, one of the most important requirements for existing in this lifestyle is honesty. Honesty with yourself first. However, you will find that this is not as easy as it sounds. Once you learn to do this, you will find yourself at peace and able to enter your servitude with clearer mind, knowing where you are and where you want to be. When you accept your Masters collar, you give up all your rights. Your friends, your life - nothing will remain yours. Being a slave means giving up so much more than you would if you were only being submissive. You give up all rights in your life. Slave isn't just a word; it's a way of life, a defined action. Be well, my friend, and I hope you enjoy this lifestyle as much as I have come to love being in it.
© 2000 miria_hunter@softhome.net
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Re: Being a slave, in a nutshell?
Sun, April 27, 2008 - 8:31 PMyour post sort of confused me. At first i thought you had written it and also thought you were a guy and a Dom guy at that (until i scrolled to the bottom to reply and saw the email address and copywrite info). personally, i stopped a couple of paragraphs in anyway as it is way too long to fit in a 'nutshell' but for me in a nutshell would simply mean that my Master's desires and pleasure are of utmost importance to me. Our relationship is not cookie cutter M/s or anything near what this article implies TPE should be but we are very happy and that's what matters to us at the end of the day. Oh, and i can always sit in a chair and eat at the table at dinner, but that's just us... -
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Re: Being a slave, in a nutshell?
Sun, April 27, 2008 - 9:35 PMWell..."I obey Master" is a very nice and neat nutshell, but doesn't really give the details to paint a picture of how things go with life in general. I suppose in some respects it might seem cookie cutter, though, I suppose the idea is to give an idea that a slave no longer has her own life anymore but instead has whatever life her owner sees fit to give her. Perhaps that is a better nutshell, though without the details. -
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Re: Being a slave, in a nutshell?
Mon, April 28, 2008 - 6:12 AMyes, and some slaves also negotiate beforehand some areas of their life that they will continue to have control over even after being collared. -
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Is this TPE then, subbygirl?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 2:37 AMRe: Being a slave, in a nutshell?
yes, and some slaves also negotiate beforehand some areas of their life that they will continue to have control over even after being collared.
Would this be considered somthing other than Total Power Exchange then, in this case? When you talk about a slave having areas of control over their life (yes I know ideals and life can diverge), it kind of squicked me at least on an emotional/instinctive level so I did some reading and found this at least with regards to TPE. This is why I tend to stick to calling myself a Top in most situations, it is simply less open to interpretation and debate. If we are going to use a term however, and it isn't just about someone's self image *Holds up a trophy proclaiming myself Lord Master Super Dom of GODLINESS*, it seems worth paying lip service to what the term really means. I realize that we speak a living language, but I prefer to see a reference that I can look at versus "Well to me this word means..."
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Total power exchange was coined by Steven S. Davis in the newsgroup alt.sex.bondage during his debates with Jon Jacobs in the mid 1990s.
A TPE (Total Power Exchange) relationship, sometimes described as an absolute lifestyle d&s relationship ... is a relationship in which no impediment to the exercise of the owner's power is accepted ... Such things as safewords, contracts, negotiated limits, and anything else which recognizes / acknowledges / formalizes limits on the owner's power are inimical to TPE.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tota...r_Exchange
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Re: Is this TPE then, subbygirl?
Wed, April 30, 2008 - 4:36 PMluckily we are free to use any terms we want, but no, ours is not TPE and i never implied it was. i don't think that much intensity would work for Master or myself, but more power to you if it does and i hope you find your perfect match as i have found mine... -
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Re: Is this TPE then, subbygirl?
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 3:40 PMGot it. So you identify as M/s, and not as tpe. I wanted to clarify that due to the forum we are discussing in. Thank you for the well wishes.
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Re: Being a slave, in a nutshell?
Mon, April 28, 2008 - 5:44 PMBet you're surprised I haven't responded yet!
I found myself shaking my head at a few things in this article.
The whole thing about music was a little annoying to me. Maybe the slave that wrote this article never leaves the house on her own. My Master is not against me listening to whatever I want to away from home. I'm at work all day listening to whatever tickles my pickle. At home, I never put on my Metallica CDs or even Classical because he doesn't like that part of my CD collection. I would observe that courtesy no matter who I lived with. Of course I do see the whole point she's making here--it's his choice what's played but I know what Master enjoys and what he doesn't so I honor that as a common courtesy.
She goes on about the Master deciding what she'll wear or how her hair will be and so on. Not all Masters are that controlling over the appearance of their slave. I know that mine has only once told me I couldn't wear something (my Sharks coat I got for 5 bucks at salvation army--too trailer park for his taste). For this author to give the impression that once you sign on as a slave you won't get to continue with your appearance the way you do is one of those umbrella things of "slaves should..slaves will do this or that." I think it's very likely all this would come up in negotiation and if someone is courting a Master or slave this stuff better come up in conversation in advance. I wouldn't want to sign up with a Master and then find out he was going to require me to shave my head.
"You will no longer own anything" depends on how you look at that. My car is still in just my name. I have my own bank account separate from our joint account. I have my photo albums..lots of stuff I call "mine", however if he said I had to sign over the car or give him all my photo albums I would do so. They still belong to me. My children are also MINE and he can't have them (as much as he'd like to!)
"You will have to ask permission to even climb into bed, or sit on a chair." Geez, now why did she have to go and say that. Not even a "you may have to"...you will! I've never had to ask. All those little details of asking for every little thing just disrupts the flow of our relationship. If Master told me I couldn't sit on furniture he'd have to deal with a cramped up old woman.
"You will even need permission to eat at the table with your Master. " Says who? I don't have to ask permission but I never sit before he does or start eating before he does. That's how he's decided it would be but she's still being too "should" for me.
"You are still required to do them: prepare His meal, and go to bed when He tells you to. Retiring for bed usually occurs at a set time, even if you are not ready to go. "
Okay..this probably works for those that enjoy being micromanaged...I don't have to go to bed at a set time...we both go when we're ready. Gosh, sometimes I even fall asleep first! *gasp*
Okay..that's enough picking apart. I could go on and on but that's boring. Bottom line to me is that every M/s relationship is different as we hear over and over and over again. Sure there are people with fantasies about and there are some pretty basic protocols lots of people in M/s follow but to me it's all about partner selection. This article is just a little too much what may be a few examples of M/s but it's not how it is.
You can't put being a slave in a nutshell...there are too many kinds of nuts.
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Re: Being a slave, in a nutshell?
Mon, April 28, 2008 - 8:44 PMYou are right, Kelly. There are many kinds of nuts. I didn't make it all the way through the article, but it was a little too, well, twoo for me. I am happy for her. I am glad she found her bliss. I have found, though, that the dynamic really changes each when I am with a different person. I am something of a chameleon and my outsides change depending on the desires of my partner. My insides don't, at all, but my outsides do. Each relationship 'looks' different on me.
People are messy and relationships are even more so. I like messy. I like getting in there and finding out what is unique about my partner-- what he needs, what he wants and how I fit into his life.
And I won't impose my country music on anyone, unless they ask me pretty please ;) -
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Twueness
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 2:22 AMI agree that "you will" needs to be replaced with "you may" in a number of instances, to make it less twue or "there is only one way" sounding. I consider myself lucky in some respects that there is an article that closely describes what I have had in the past (minor exceptions), thus, making it easier to point out the sort of thing I cleave to. Lazy top at work again perhaps? Am I right in gathering from the comments so far, that at least with respects to the people in this tribe, I am somewhat unique in that this description reasonably well describes what I have experienced with regards to M/s? -
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Re: Twueness
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 3:43 PMthe majority of the people I know would scoff at this article. There are some days when things like this might occur but it would not be a norm. I don't see many people in todays society, where we are bred for independence and being true to ones self, lasting very long in a relationship this strict. I would willingly do it for some scenes but I would rebel quickly if this was the norm of our relationship. Maybe if that is what someone truly wants their life to be like then they will willing accept this form of a M/s relationship. I just haven't met any of them. -
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Re: Twueness
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 8:53 PMI recall being told by my 80some year old grandmother about a great, great, long passed grandfather of mine from I believe the last 1800s. Apparently he had the reputation for being strict to the point of cruelty (as seen by vanilla eyes). I have to wonder if it might be genetic for me, and traced back quite a ways. My grandfather, who died of lung cancer before I was born, was also extremely strict. I am told I resemble him strongly. I don't suppose this level of strictness works for everyone, by any stretch. That of course, is why I am here having a conversation on M/s+tpe, and a major factor in why I moved to the bay area in general. It should improve my odds of finding those rare people who crave strictness on this level. You are also certainly right, that this society breeds those who go for independence and individuality to an extreme. That also, I believe, makes my search harder. -
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Re: Twueness
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 8:55 PMLast=late 1800s. Sure would be nice if tribes had an edit button.
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Re: Being a slave, in a nutshell?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 11:52 PM>> Okay..this probably works for those that enjoy being micromanaged... <<
That about describes that whole post for me in a nutshell - it was a description of a micromanaged relationship, whatever other kind of label one might put on it.
Which is fine, for those for whom it works, but that's a small percentage of the population.
Micromanagement and slavery are not even remotely necessarily the same thing.
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Micromanagement
Wed, April 30, 2008 - 2:40 AMFunny, I never really thought of it as being this way. I knew her clothing size, and body measurements. She never once bought an article of clothing, I bought it for her, usually sight unseen. I told her what types of clothing she may wear for a given occasion. Only if we were going out to some special event might I bother to be specific about what she should wear (almost never). Out of that selection she had in her closet, she picked what she was to wear each day. I didn't tell her which sock to put on first, nor did I supervise her getting dressed. The extent of managing her clothing was to have chosen each piece of clothing, and determined what (pants vs skirts vs dresses) was to be worn for a given situation. This is merely a snip out of our life, but I never considered it micromanagement in M/s. Picking her outfit each day I would have found tedious, though some apparently enjoy this. -
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Master buy clothes?
Wed, April 30, 2008 - 6:53 AMIt would be very dangerous for my Master to pick my clothing each day or to buy it for me. He just recently commented on how that would NOT work out--same goes for decorating the home. Besides shopping is NOT something he enjoys doing. That may be something that works out great for you but some men don't really understand women's fashion and really don't want to understand it. -
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Re: Master buy clothes?
Wed, April 30, 2008 - 3:45 PMOh, I loved it. I could always count on her looking pretty much exactly the way I wanted her to. Hot, hot, hot! It didn't mean showing a ton of skin, as sometimes looking hot to me was wearing a summer dress that covered her in general. I had my favorite stores and brands...I kind of miss that. I still look at Lip Service now and then and miss having a reason to shop there. I really don't think much of the Men's clothing on there, but the women's stuff is so pretty! Pretty pink and black dresses with bows, she was my very own life sized Barbie. Women who know me well enough tend to ask my opinion on what looks good, clothing wise. I have two sisters, one is a Pisces, and I'm the only one she totally trusts to give her that sort of advice. -
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Re: Master buy clothes?
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 3:40 PMwhy did you throw in the fact that she's a pisces??? We have wonderful taste in clothing... : ) -
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Re: Master buy clothes?
Sat, May 3, 2008 - 5:20 PMThat sort of makes me the expert's expert, now doesn't it? :)
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Re: Being a slave, in a nutshell?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 10:17 PMwow, that's a big nutshell. But good.
Nutshell: Willingly and cheerfully giving up your will and presenting it at the feel of your master.
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Re: Being a slave, in a nutshell?
Mon, May 5, 2008 - 2:58 PMI think it is a perfect explanation of what many slaves have to live through. Overblown hyperbole wrapped in bad metaphors delivered in overly long self congratulatory pontification.
The reality as I have seen it is that to this day, one of the deepest and most beautiful acts of submission was by a gay male BOTTOM at Castlebar one night as he stood at attention for a couple of hours because his Top was stuck on the bridge.
Haveing spent enough time in the scene to have some perspective, the people and the relationship I used to think were the most extreme and "serious" I look back on now and cringe and the ones that I dismissed back then are the ones I look to for inspiration and guidance.
Forcing yourself and your partner into some rigid role created by others is a path to misery and unhappiness. Worrying about what is and isn't "slavelike" is destructive. Worry about whether or not whatever the fuck you are doing is making you and your partner fullfilled.
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I am thus flamed.
Mon, May 5, 2008 - 6:28 PMWow, I could easily find this offensive and flame-like. I used this as an example because it closely represents a situation I lived in for about four years, and I found this example after I was already living that way. It seemed like a convenient way to say "Hey that sounds like what I did!", can anyone else relate? It was fulfilling enough back when it was happening (sadly it didn't last forever, but what does?). You might want to take a second look before condemning what some people do for their own happiness. Just...ouch! Thanks to all of those who responded, whether being able to relate to it or not, who DIDN"T flame me. -
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Re: I am thus flamed.
Mon, May 5, 2008 - 8:02 PMInteresting how you interpreted her writing. I read it as more of a warning for people that try to follow trends and who try to do everything by "the book". A relationship between Master and slave that strict is often harmful because it's not what both want but, what they feel that it should be. If that rigidity is what makes you happy an you find someone that is also into that type of relationship and it makes them happy, more power to you. But it's kind of like saying that everyone should love pistachio ice cream. In the real world that's not true, nor should it be forced on people that prefer a different type of ice cream. It doesn't make their preferences any less valid, just different. it still has all the same basic elements just a different flavoring. (sorry, apparently my food cravings are starting to manifest themselves in my metaphors now) In a M/s relationship there are many different ways to go about it and depending on what preferences both people have makes the difference on what type of relationship they have, but no matter what it looks like from the outside it still has the same basic elements.
um, think I'll go to my laundry now couldn't do it until i got off my soap box. -
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No flaming. Chill out.
Mon, May 5, 2008 - 10:18 PMI don't see any flaming. If you think that's flaming then you haven't been around!
I happen to totally agree with Michael that each M/s relationship is it's own thing. No two are--or should be alike. I so agree with this comment; "Forcing yourself and your partner into some rigid role created by others is a path to misery and unhappiness." We sort of fell into that trap for a short while. I kept prodding Master into "training me" or giving me a lot more protocol..but when it came down to doing that it felt so weird for us. We shelved that and realized our M/s relationship is moving along just fine without trying to do many of the things various other M/s types do. This is along the lines of that article that said basically...if you become a slave you won't be able to sit on the furniture anymore. That works for some but not all.
Charles, you seem to be trying to put into words what should be experienced in feelings and actions. While this certainly is a place to express by words--it doesn't always work when talking about M/s relationships.
Earlier you made a comment-- "So you identify as M/s, and not as tpe" While this tribe is "Master and slaves, tpe" that sure doesn't mean everyone here identifies exactly like that. There is an interesting array of people in this tribe that fall into a variety of categories.
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Re: I am thus flamed.
Tue, May 6, 2008 - 7:24 AMThe harsh part of my post was in reference to the piece you quoted, sorry if there was any misunderstanding.
I didn't condemn anyone for doing something that makes them happy, I condemned doing things in a way that guarantees unhappiness. There is a vast difference between stealing a cool idea from someone else's relationship that resonates with you and trying to force yourself to do things that don't. -
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Re: I am thus flamed.
Tue, May 6, 2008 - 3:52 PMI appreciate your saying that. The intent of my post is at the beginning, the part that I personally wrote. Those questions have less been answered, than the essay has been picked apart. I grant that the essay could have been written differently in certain areas and still gotten across the same meaning. It seemed to me that your post further made the stride to say that my experience with my slave was absolute crap that I made her suffer through "I think it is a perfect explanation of what many slaves have to live through." that couldn't possibly fulfil anyone. Since my post contained questions, and this was the reply, it seemed to be directed at me and why wouldn't it? If one asks a question and gets an answer, either the answer is directed to the one asking the question or the person responding is less than polite in my view. If you ask someone a question and rather than answering you they give you no answer at all, and instead get on a soapbox to rant about a related topic while ignoring you, wouldn't that seem a little impolite (thread hijacking perhaps)? I try to give people the benefit of the doubt with regards to that, and imagine that they really are addressing me unless it is specified otherwise. "I think _it_ is" contains a pronoun that I could not decipher a noun from, except to imagine that the person must have been politely-flaming me is such a thing is possible. I suppose that it is, if I offended someone so greatly with my views that they felt honor bound to set me alight. I do appreciate however that your intent was not to flame me.
The intent I had for this thread was to answer these questions:
Has anyone's M/s experience been very much like this? How so, or how different? For me personally, it is extremely similar to my 4 year M/s relationship with a few minor differences. "You will have to ask permission to even climb into bed, or sit on a chair. Most slaves are allowed a cushion on the floor that they do not need permission to sit upon, but very little else. You will even need permission to eat at the table with your Master." This quote for example, didn't describe me and my slave but pretty much everything else is spot on or nearly so. -
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different
Tue, May 6, 2008 - 5:35 PM"Has anyone's M/s experience been very much like this? How so, or how different? For me personally, it is extremely similar to my 4 year M/s relationship with a few minor differences. "
Since just a few of us are responding...relationships all vary depending on the two people involved. What would you do if you had a slave that had a medical condition and couldn't sit on the cushion? It wouldn't be the same as your previous relationship and you might have to bend what you really like a bit.
In my M/s relationship, we have a lot of protocols and rituals but they are not much like the next M/s couple. It really depends on what works for you and for the person you choose to have this type of relationship. I think to say that you would have the same rules with whatever slave you might own would limit your possibities.
An example might be...what if you are a Master that requires your slave to hand over every single thing she owns and sign over all her money and perhaps the deed to her house. That would work for some slaves but certainly not for all (like me). While that may not sound very M/s or TPE--there are just some people that negotiate these issues.
I also want to say that my experience with message boards is that not everyone is answering you specifically. They are often addressing the topic you have brought up. Your topic didn't seem to be all about you, but rather a more general area of discussion.
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Re: I am thus flamed.
Mon, June 9, 2008 - 7:31 PMI have had a relationship where I asked for everything from sitting down to getting dressed to getting water. I very much enjoyed the relationship, but it was not a 24/7 relationship either. I saw him about 4-5 days a week. I use to want to be in that kind of a relationship 24/7, but now being in the place I am and having certian experiences I have had since then don't think that I could. If he had wanted that kind of relationship then I probably could have done it with him 24/7, but he was someone I respected greatly, trusted enormously, and someone who would never denie me the things I needed and for the most part things I wanted. -
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Re: I am thus flamed.
Mon, June 9, 2008 - 9:29 PMThanks for the thoughtful reply, Jodi. It's good to consider what is required for this kind of relationship to work, and to have feedback about what exactly that is. Why would you engage in a relationship of this description? With the sense that many responses are much along the lines of "If I don't want to do it, it must be bad", it's refreshing to get some ideas of how and why it could be done versus why it can't and shouldn't.
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Re: Being a slave, in a nutshell?
Mon, May 5, 2008 - 6:51 PM<<Forcing yourself and your partner into some rigid role created by others is a path to misery and unhappiness. Worrying about what is and isn't "slavelike" is destructive. Worry about whether or not whatever the fuck you are doing is making you and your partner fullfilled>> so true! =]
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