The Power of Words

I've been musing about the power of words, as I often do. Last night Master and I made a trip to the store to pick up a couple of odds and ends and a new (smaller) pair of jeans for me. While we were in the checkout lane he asked me a question, I don't remember what he asked me, what I remember is my response. I responded very quickly and without thought "Yes Sir." It's not a common thing for me to do, usually it's "Yes Dear" or "Yes Boss". As soon as I realized what I'd said, within hearing of the checker, I felt self-conscious but I also felt a little shiver of pleasure at addressing him like that in public. I'm silly I guess.

I'm just very new to the whole honorifics thing. I've done it when prompted but I have always felt self-conscious, the words felt like an affectation to me. It's only been recently that I've felt driven to use words like 'Sir'. It felt natural last night, I only felt self-conscious because of the checker standing about two feet in front of me. It didn't feel like an affectation, it was a normal response to a question from my Master. It makes me feel very submissive using those words. Yet, when I "sir" and "ma'am" customers at work it doesn't. There is no submission just courtesy and politeness. With Master there is feeling behind a "yes Sir", there is deep respect, and profound love and adoration. I wonder if there is an audible difference between the two instances.

Master has never required honorifics from me and I'm happy that I got to come to it on my own. I wonder if the words would have felt as powerful to me if I were required to say them vs. feeling inspired to do so. I wonder a lot, we know this. It comes from spending a lot of time alone in my head with my own thoughts. ;-)

I watch and listen to others who use honorifics as a matter of course, some say it with feeling, some don't. I wonder what the point of using an honorific is if you don't have some feeling behind it. Is it to boost someone else's ego? If it's done to reinforce one's position I would think there would be feeling behind it even if you didn't feel particularly submissive to the person you were Sir'ing or Ma'am'ing. I don't know, I'm probably off base here and I don't have personal experience to draw from. I'm just theorizing and pondering things I've observed.

Laziness And Frustration

I've been frustrated now for a while. Master got lazy, he relaxed his control to the point that it felt non-existent. He let infractions of the rules slide with nothing more than a playful warning of punishment the next time it happened. I understand no one likes to dole out punishment, it's not fun, it's disappointing to have to do, and I'm guessing it's upsetting too. Still, I need that discipline, that correction, and the structure. I need to know that rules will be enforced and that his expectations of me aren't going to change.

Along with relaxed rules has come a lack of play. That's always a recurring theme for us, either he's exhausted and just wants to relax, or we don't have alone time so we don't have to worry about keeping it quiet (this is almost never, we never have alone time), or when we go visit our friends with the intention to play all we do is sit and chat all night. I'm not complaining, not really. I love just sitting and chatting with our friends, I love the companionship we all share. But dang it, I need to play too! I need semi-regular SM play. I need him to be interested in doing it with me.

I don't blame him, not really. I understand why he's been lax with the rules and why he's been exhausted. His job is stressful and demanding, he's constantly in charge and on top at work. He's the go-to guy who solves a lot of problems. It's understandable that when he gets home the last thing he wants to do is be the boss of anyone. On top of all that, he's working six days a week right now covering for another guy who was injured. So no, I'm not blaming him, I'm not angry with him over any of this. I'm just frustrated by it all.

We have talked about this, I sort of blew up last week and sent him a very strongly-worded e-mail after his teasing me all night with promises of play that night, he decided he was too tired and went to sleep. Then I was angry. I was indignant, self-centered, and in general a royal b*tch. I'm ashamed to admit that I deliberately bratted in hopes of getting some sort of rise out of him. It didn't work, and sadly enough I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I believe that I deserve(d) punishment for the way I behaved and for the e-mail I sent, it was disrespectful and downright rude. Yet, he chose to not punish me. He agreed with me that he's been slacking in his responsibilities and felt that I had the right to "call him on the carpet" over it, although he didn't care for the way I went about it. I still wish he'd have punished me but I'm not questioning his decision.

I just want my Master back, I need the man who expected certain behavior from me. I need the man who wouldn't hesitate to punish me or at the very least, chastise me for my ill behavior. Is that selfish? I suppose it is. It's hard to be half of a whole when the other half seems to be partially missing. For quite a while I'd felt as if I was being treated like a vanilla wife with a few rare kinky sprinkles. This, I guess, is a pitfall one has to be wary of if one goes into M/s after having started out and spent a good part of life as a married couple.

Still, the other day's activity with the enema seemed to help get my head right. It was such a deeply submissive act for me and I've felt worshipful of him ever since. It's funny how that happens. I wonder if it did anything similar for him. Did it make him feel more Masterful to have me submit to him like that?

We're going to make a concerted effort to keep the M/s active. He's resumed our bathroom ritual and I've been nearly beside myself with happiness over being allowed to cook many of the week's meals for him. I enjoyed it so much that I asked him if I could do it again for the coming week and he agreed. At least I'm able to serve and I'm looking for new ways to improve that service. Still, the masochist in me is frustrated. I'd be grateful for a short over the knee spanking. I'd love being pulled down over his lap and given a few short swats and then sent on my way. It would at least be something. It would indicate that he still enjoys SM play with me. Yes, I'm a silly girl sometimes, I need to know my man still enjoys certain things with me.

I got into a situation with my Sir, who isn't much of a sadist at all, where he was giving me SM play because I wanted/needed it, not because he got any actual enjoyment from it. It quickly lost its appeal when I realized he was doing it for me. It started feeling like he was serving me and it affected my submission to him. Yes, couples do things for each other because they want to. But if you're always doing something for someone else because they like it when you dislike it, that's too much like service for me to be comfortable with. Call me silly, I don't care, it's how I feel. *shrug*

So, I'm a frustrated masochist but a happy servant. I'm thankful that he's taken up the slack in the leash and that he's allowing and expecting more service from me. I just wish we could make some time for SM play.

"Vanilla" D/s Moments

There's been a lot going on this week with Master being ill and me having a bit of trouble myself. But something happened to make the ordinary extraordinary.

Master and I were in the grocery store, he wanted to leave but I wanted to take one more look for an item I hadn't yet found. It was in this looking that we were stopped by an older gentleman who looked for all the world like a farmer in his denim bib overalls and big baggy coat. Actually, it was Master he stopped with a polite "Excuse me." He looked at Master and pointed to me and said "Her shirt says 'Bad Girl', is she a bad girl?" Master chuckled and said "Oh yeah, she's definitely a 'Bad Girl', very bad." I blushed and got this silly grin that stayed plastered to my face for quite some time. I couldn't quit grinning, I enjoyed the entire exchange. I'm sure everyone will interpret things differently but it made me feel very submissive, very much like property, and even a bit childlike. The man talked about me instead of to me. Master also talked about me instead of to me. Of course after we'd all gone our separate ways I looked at Master and said "I may be a bad girl but I'm very good at it." I giggled afterwards as he agreed with me. He likes his bad girl.

I shared this experience with some close friends and one of them responded, pointing out that you just never know how much some people really do know. You also never know just what some people might do behind closed doors. Master suggested the possibility that the gentleman is a farmer but has a full dungeon on his farm. If that was the case then I wonder, do we give off a vibe that indicates our relational roles? Or are we just that obvious? I'm going to have to try to pay attention to how we act in the grocery store and to the people around us. If they're staring then I guess we're being obvious.

Another One Bites The Dust

Master stayed home sick today, as did I. I was having some IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) troubles and needed to stay home and alleviate a certain problem. This alleviation is done by way of a warm water enema and up until today they've been self-administered.

Today Master decided that he was going to bulldoze his way through yet another limit of mine. I've constantly held firm that there was no way I'd let him administer an enema for me, it's always seemed too close to scat play for me. Until today he'd respected my feelings on the matter. Ordinarily it's not been an issue for him, he knows that enemas can make me physically ill but thanks to IBS and the addition of yet another pain med, I need them every now and again. Oddly enough, at these times the enema doesn't make me ill. Go figure. I guess today was the perfect opportunity and one he wasn't going to let pass him by.

I didn't believe he really wanted to do it at first. I thought he was just putting me on just to enjoy the my discomforted reaction. No such luck. I asked him "Are you really serious about doing this?" I wasn't a very happy camper and I even accused him of taking advantage of the situation. Duh! Sadist! I can't claim to have been thinking clearly. I was flustered and uncomfortable with what was about to happen. It just seemed so humiliating to have him administer an enema, but I needed it and I didn't think he'd have let me off the hook if I whined. So, without any complaints I went into the bathroom and knelt on the floor while he prepared the applicator. He used plenty of lubrication on my bottom and on the applicator so as to make insertion easier. I was thankful that he at least refrained from making any sort of teasing comments while the hot water bottle emptied its contents into my bowels.

Strangely enough, once I'd gotten past the whole "Oh gawd I'm so humiliated" I didn't feel humiliated. Instead I felt... come on you know what I'm going to say....very submissive. My Master was taking care of me and doing something that would ultimately make me feel better. Thinking back on it now I wish he would have stroked my bottom and my back during the process. It would have felt soothing and comforting. Somehow I think there will be a next time so perhaps he'll consider my wish to be a request.

I don't know if he expected it, but taking that control from me and actually administering an enema turned him on. He enjoyed it quite a bit and was sure to show me the evidence of his pleasure while I curled up on the bed waiting afterwards. It was a little while later, perhaps a half an hour, when I realized how much it had affected me. I was aroused, and not just a little aroused either. I was very aroused and very wet.

A year ago I'd have rather died than submit to an enema administered by anyone but a medical professional, and even then I'd probably have suggested to them that I could manage on my own. It's just interesting, he seems to know the right time to push the envelope of experience with me. He's been teasing me for quite some time, a few years at least, about giving me an enema but has never pushed the issue. Perhaps he's been gauging my responses? I don't know. I've never deviated from my standard response that I'm aware of. Maybe he's seen the same thing our dominant friend has been remarking on, the higher visibility of my "slave side".

I'm really pleased with the experience all in all and I'm really thankful he allowed me the privacy to "finish" alone. Now that would have been difficult to bear. I'm sorry that Master was home sick but at the same time, it afforded us an opportunity that we might not have had otherwise so I can't be too sorry. *smiles*

A Slave's Purpose

Last night Master and I were out with part of the Tribe. They're M/s like Master and I and he's the one that Master is plotting a slave switch day with. Knowing both of them as I do it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the whole thing was a mindf*ck. They're really taking a lot of delight in making us girls nervous about what they're planning. Of course, they could also want us to believe it's just a mindf*ck when it's really going to happen. They're very devious and think the mind is a great playground. Yep, I'm onto you guys and I know anything is possible.

Anyway, he was talking about how he feels a slave's primary thought should always be "How can I please my Master today?" In an ideal world yeah, I agree. Unfortunately we're not in an ideal world and I didn't check my humanity at the door when I accepted Master's collar. My goal is always to find ways to please my Master, to make his life easier. I'd say, and I hope Master will correct me if he disagrees, that I accomplish that on most days. But there are things I will struggle with, I'm human. There are things I may not be capable of doing, either because my body is unable to comply, or because my mind is incapable of moving past baggage or trauma.

If we run into those kinds of road blocks does that make me less pleasing? Does it make me a failure as a slave or less a slave than one who doesn't have those road blocks? I don't think so. I think that if I'm trying, if I'm making an honest effort and just cannot accomplish the task, it should be accepted as the effort it is instead of treated as a failure. This is different than a refusal to comply and no, a refusal to comply should not be accepted.

I'd be crushed if Master treated me like I'd failed him as a slave for being unable to do something. (I think I've said this before) Eventually, if he kept acting as if I'd failed, it would wear down my self-esteem. I do base some of my self-worth on what he thinks of me. I don't care if it's healthy, or co-dependent, it's just what I do. My Master's opinion of me is extremely important to me. He is the only person that has been allowed that close to me and he could destroy me with one word. Yes, I've given him that much power, I trust him that much.

Another question comes to mind for me. If a slave's primary thought should be how to please her Master, what should his primary thought be?

At one point in the conversation he (our dominant friend) asked me "What do you think of petticoats?" The first thing that popped into my head was "It sounds complicated." After further reflection I can say more fully that in fantasy it sounds very fun, in reality it would feel strange. It's not my style to dress up that girly even if I do love the more romantic type fashions. So I'd feel uncomfortable and as if I were wearing a costume. Now, my ideal "fantasy" costume would be a kimono. To me, they are utterly feminine and so delicate, yet, not girly. If that makes any sense. Heh!

I understand the motivation behind wanting to dress me up in petticoats, etc. It would be so vastly different from the way I normally dress, even when I'm dressed up. It would make me extremely uncomfortable and would probably throw me off my game a bit because I'd be preoccupied with the clothing and my discomfort in it. However, I'm already going to be off my game. I've never served another, not really. I'm trained in a specific way, if there is something Master requests that I find distasteful, he likes to see it in my expression. I don't know how to keep my emotions and thoughts from showing on my face and in my eyes. This is what makes me a terrible liar, by the way.

And what this has to do with a slave's purpose... well, it would please my Master to see me serve another so I have been spending a lot of time thinking about it and trying to sort out how I could do it successfully. He likes that I'm struggling with the entire concept of being given in service to another and he likes that I would struggle with not being able to serve him directly. I don't know how I will adapt to a dominant style that is so different from the one I'm accustomed to. I do recognize the merits of this type of switch, I imagine I'd learn quite a bit from the experience.

I know I've rambled and not really made a lot of sense but I needed to get it out of my head and in print so I can sort it all out. I just think that saying a slave's primary thought should be how to please her Master is rather limited. I think it goes without saying that if one is a consensual slave one already has that desire, that need, to serve and please one's owner. We're already looking for ways to please our owners, it's just that sometimes the things owners want are beyond our capabilities. Sometimes it's only a matter of getting one's head around the situation in order to be able to comply. Sometimes it's simply something we cannot do despite our best efforts, if that is the case it is unfair to treat it as a failure. Would you, as a dominant want to be thought of as a failure because there was some domly type of activity that you were unable to do or that you struggled with? I think not.

Mondays-I Hate Mondays

I swear to Pete, the Universe really is out to get me. Either that or my kids are all just mean and don't want to see me happy.

I had plans today. I was going to see Sir, he was going to come visit me, I was going to dress up in sexy clothes and make up for him, and we were going to have a little (lot of) fun. On the drive to take LMR to school she dashed my plans and shattered them to bits with just a simple sentence. "I'm not going to work today [boyfriend] is going to take me to the library instead." That's it, and she's still here, sleeping and waiting for his return call. Had she been a biddable child she would have been swayed by my reasoning that she should work today and go to the library tomorrow when she had more time. Seeing the way things are going, that would have been the better plan anyway. But no, it's more fun to ruin mom's plans for the day.

So no Sir, no sex, no sexy stories to leave for Master to read when he gets home. I'm really, really, really, bummed. It's not fair. I haven't seen my Sir in, oh, more than a month I think, probably closer to two months. Nothing ever seems to work out. The last time we made plans to get together both he and Master were sick with allergies. Next time it'll probably be the evil monthly fairy.

I feel frantic to be able to make time to see him. I'm trying to get a day job and once that happens I'll no longer have my days free for him. It's kind of difficult to keep a relationship going when you don't have *any* face time whatsoever and your communication is kind of sparse. I'm just really unhappy with the way things turned out today.

I hate Mondays.

Necessity

I hate having to do this. I thought it was something that was just understood, you know? Recent events have led to the necessity of spelling it out in plain English.

So, here it is.

All writing on this site is copyrighted material, do not take posts from this site and post them anywhere else without giving proper credit, including a link back to the page it came from.

Thank you for your understanding and consideration in this matter.

Joy

*Edit- I've disabled right clicking and text highlighting. I don't know if I'll keep it but for now it makes me feel better. I realize this won't stop the truly determined but short of password protecting my blog, which I'd really hate to have to do, I'm willing to try just about anything that might help. Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause. Do let me know if it causes any hassles, I can't think of any off the top of my head but that's not surprising. ;-)

Blissfully Sore

Nope, not that kind of sore. There's been no SM around here this week, unless you count the other night when he took the evil little knife and lightly dragged it across the insides of my thighs while I was sitting on the commode going potty. Gods I love that little knife, it fits in the palm of the hand when closed and isn't all that much bigger when opened. The blade is super sharp and curves into a nasty little point. It did this a few weeks ago. Not everyone's cuppa but it sure makes me purr.



No, today isn't kinky sore, it's being sore from pushing my body too far beyond what it can do, which these days isn't too terribly much at all. I cleaned our bedroom today, dusted, vacuumed, and scrubbed in the adjoining bathroom. I did a load of dishes and a couple of loads of laundry too. I'm just glad Master understands me well enough to just accept that I need to do these things despite the resulting pain. I think he knows I'm not going to intentionally push my body to the point of causing further injury. I'm not that much of a masochist. But I do need to be able to serve him in this way. He's working so much OT lately and is barely here long enough to eat and sleep. I'm hoping he'll let me plan a couple of crock pot meals that I can throw together before I leave for work so he doesn't have to come home after a 12-hour day and try to summon the energy to cook dinner.

So yeah, my back hurts tonight, all the way down to the bottoms of my feet, my limp is a little more pronounced, and I'm pretty well exhausted from the pain. But I'm sitting here smiling because he's got a clean bedroom to sleep in, a clean mirror to look at himself in, and a clean sink to brush his teeth in (and make a mess of all over again ;-) ).

There is no wanting in me tonight, I don't want more this, or more that. I'm right where I need to be, doing the things I need to be doing. Sure I have limitations and it'd probably be a wise choice to divide the cleaning chores up into smaller chunks to be done daily instead of doing the whole thing in one day, but they're limitations, not limits. I don't know if that distinction makes sense to anyone else but me. A limit, to me, is something I cannot, will not, do. It's a line drawn in the sand, go here and no further. A limitation is something you adapt to, you work around it, but you don't stop just because it's there. That's me, today at least.

Adapting to Serve

I'm in a tizzy. Okay, not a full-blown tizzy, more of a tiz I guess. I've only really served one Master in all my time on this path. With Sir it has always been more about play and sex than roles; he doesn't want to live as dominant to my submissive or slave but he likes to visit there occasionally and loves the kinky sex. M'Lady is quite similar to Master in her style and expectations of me. So, perhaps I'd be more accurate in saying I've only served one style in all this time. Either way, what it boils down to is me panicking because I don't know if it'll work. Obviously it's not the end of the world if it doesn't work and I'm being silly but I want it to work.
What am I talking about? Oh yeah... guess I didn't say did I? Well, there's an M/s couple we know and are friends with. He would like to have a "switch" day. He'd like her to serve my Master and me to serve him. My Master is open to the idea, which means if it's decided we'll be giving it a go.

As I mentioned in my last post, he likes a slave who joyfully submits and more often than not she does so. I'm not that type of slave, moreover I'm a strong-willed she-b*tch to deal with sometimes. My Master likes and appreciates this quality in me, he enjoys the challenge and enjoys my obedience despite my discomfort. I think he's a lot like a lion tamer, it must be intoxicating and hmm...empowering to see an animal that would sooner eat you than look at you performing tricks and obeying commands that you've issued. I have it on good authority that there are times I do indeed look as if I'd rather have a nibble of him than obey. That is just who I am. How do I reign that in? Performing service for my Master at a formal dinner party for dominants is different than being in service to another dominant for a day.

So, as I said, I'm in a tiz over it. Master thinks I shouldn't worry about it until such time as it's been decided and then, really, it's too late so why worry? Pfftt! Masters! He doesn't have to worry about being punished for failure to comply in the way that's desired. I'm concerned that I won't meet expectations, I've already met with the other dominant's displeasure while complying with a command from my Master. What's going to happen if he gets to be the boss of me for a day?? I understand his interest in the whole thing, he'd like to see her under the command of someone harsher than himself. He thinks my Master is that someone and he can be, usually in scene and with me. Out of scene he's relaxed, laid back, and doesn't sweat the small stuff. But does my Master really want to see me under the command of someone else? And if so, why? I LIKE my Master's style, love it even, I love serving him and I know I'd feel a certain amount of loss at not being able to serve him specifically even for a day. Yes, yes, that's selfish, I don't care. It's how I feel. I love my Master and I want to serve him as often as possible, as much as possible, for as long as possible, and I don't want to miss out on any opportunities to serve him. Granted, I could find a convoluted way to look at being lent in service to another as indirect service to him, but I think you can see that it's not quite the same.

I like playing with our dominant friend, he can be deliciously sadistic and enjoys being so with me where he doesn't with his girl because her masochist button is a little smaller than mine. Okay, I'm a pain pig. There, feel better now that I've admitted it? *ggg* But I honestly think he's going to feel the lack of his girl. She's the perfect slave for him, she suits him well. Where she's quiet, soft, and utterly feminine; I'm loud, rough in spots, and hmm... not as feminine. I'm new to being a girly girl and probably won't ever be a complete girly girl. I was a tomboy as a child, sat with legs splayed wide in a formal gown(in private) as a teen, and still retain some of that as a woman grown. Often when I'm in full girly girl regalia I feel like I'm playing dress-up, like I'm pretending to be something, someone, else. SO, you see... You don't see? *sigh*

I feel severely lacking in comparison to her and yeah, it's one tiny step to the left (then a jump to the riiiight...but I digress) to being afraid that Master will like her better, she can orgasm easily, gods know that'd be a treat for him since a good part of the time my O-button is busted. I wonder if she has similar concerns. It's funny, when I take a moment to step outside of myself, I realize that I'm not the only one who could fall prey to self-comparison. But I think, I don't think I'm too far off the mark either, that the men will be doing their own comparing and noting the differences. I wonder what may happen then. Will they want us to learn to be more like the other? Change our submissive style? Or will they realize how content they are with the partner they've chosen? I'm just as worried about how she'll feel as I am about myself. I adore her to bits and I don't want to be the cause of any bad feelings on her part.

I'm a questioner, a planner, and a control freak. I know I've said this somewhere before. The unknown scares the bejaysus out of me, hence the planning, questioning, and controlling. I need to know what to expect and what is expected of me in order to not worry. I rely heavily on Mapquest and I double-check with YahooMaps when I'm going somewhere unfamiliar. I pack for every eventuality and then some, and I spend countless hours planning and thinking about the possibilities so I feel mentally prepared for anything. Anything that makes me feel like the rug has been pulled out from beneath me is met with panic, in severe cases I shut down and the panic takes over, hence the planning, questioning.., etc.

It's at this point that they'd both pipe up with "Yes, but what are you?" Slave. Yes Master, I know and I will obey, whatever you two decide. I'm just, well, me.

So, I guess I need to get familiar with this faith concept I keep hearing about. Maybe I ought to brush up on my service skills too, just in case. There isn't much I can do about my pain tolerance or my physical endurance on a given day, but I'd do my best to not disappoint. Most importantly, I know this is the one you're most interested in Master, I'd do my best to let any jealousy or insecurity I was feeling just wash through me and let it go. I'm the best me I can be in this moment, if that's not enough then nothing ever will be and I can't control that, much as I'd like to.

Still, I'm wondering if we'd get a briefing of the expectations before it happened and would I get to ask (and have them answered) questions to clarify? Sometimes being a consensual slave isn't fun, though it is fulfilling. How's that for contrary? *chuckling*

Control: Choices and Responsibility

Miss kaya posted a quote on her journal about control and some of the comments veered off toward discussing choices and responsibility that submissives and slaves have. Instead of hijacking her comments section to give a fuller response I decided to just do it here.

I noted a prevailing attitude that any control in the relationship would bring added responsibility. I'm guessing/hoping that they were referring to additional responsibility beyond personal responsibility. There also seemed to be a general allusion to the effect that having any control would negate one's status as a consensual slave. This got the old wheels a turnin' in my melon. I know I've covered personal responsibility before but this, I think, is a little more. Some thoughts will just be reiterations of earlier thoughts, some should be brand new. *wink*

Despite my status as owned property I am still human, I am still responsible for myself and my choices and I am also responsible to my Master. I think it's pure fantasy to believe otherwise. There's nothing wrong with fantasy but there is a place and time for it. If I robbed a bank, even if it were at Master's command, I'd be going to jail, not him (unless it could be proven that I feared for my life or some such and even then...). Telling the judge "Master made me do it" isn't going to go over very well and certainly won't save my butt from the consequences. Instead the judge might wonder about my mental health status.

If I failed (with intent) to meet my responsibilities to Master I think he'd have a thing or two to say about it. For all I know certain intentional failures on my part could be a deal breaker for him, meaning he'd release me. We haven't really talked about the what ifs of me not meeting, or at least trying, to meet his expectations. It hasn't been an issue because there isn't anything that I've really dug my heels in about. Yeah, I've got the trust/fear/jealousy/insecurity issue but I'm still trying and working on it. I'm not throwing my hands up in defeat and refusing to even try. Now that would be a failure on my part and I'd understand if it led to release. I wouldn't like it but again, I'm responsible for my choices and not even trying is a choice, which will have consequences.

Robbing a bank may well be a command from my Master, and as his slave I've consented to obey his commands, however; in becoming my Master he consented to look out for my welfare. A command to rob a bank is going to negatively impact my well-being. As far as I'm concerned, if he does anything, with intent, that will harm me in any way all bets are off. My responsibility to him is negated then and my first responsibility to myself kicks in. It goes without saying that one should choose carefully the one s/he will surrender his/her will to so that they can give up as much control as is desired and/or possible. Obviously I wouldn't have consented to become Master's slave if I thought he would ever command me to rob a bank, or anything else that would harm me so no, I'm not sitting here just waiting for him to do something so I can say "Aha! That's it, I'm outta here!" That thought never even crosses my mind.

What this means is that as a consensual slave I do have choices and I make them daily. I am personally responsible for these choices but that responsibility doesn't give me untoward control in the relationship nor does it negate my "slavehood". The control I do have, again I don't believe it negates my status as a slave, is self-control and I am responsible for exercising it. He expects nothing less.

Control and responsibility do not negate slave, or submissive for that matter, status unless those participating in the relationship feel that it does. For example, some slaves are given control of, and responsibility for, the finances. Does that make them less a slave than I am, a slave kept in ignorance about the finances? It makes their experience of consensual slavery different than mine, nothing more, nothing less.

No two M/s relationships will look exactly alike, despite some commonalities. We are very good friends with another M/s couple and though we have a lot in common there are still differences. She is somewhat in charge of the finances and is responsible for them, he desires a slave that will obey his commands joyfully, even the ones she finds distasteful. I'm ignorant of the finances and Master actually likes to see that I'm not terribly thrilled with a certain command but am obeying in spite of that. I also have, I think, a lot more leeway in how I am expected, and allowed, to address my Master than she has. Her Master exercises more control of the clothing she's allowed to wear than mine does. Still, we're both slaves, we both belong to our owners. Most importantly, our owners define us as slaves...despite our varying degrees of control or lack thereof. They see us as their property.

It's easy, at least for me, to get caught up in the all or nothing thinking and comparing oneself to someone else's concept of what a slave is. It's also easy to get caught up in thinking that everyone should think like we do because we have it right after all. I'm sure I've been guilty of that a time or three myself. *wry grin*

It's all individual and subjective, which brings me to a concern I've got that will be another journal entry altogether. Adapting to serve another dominant style... and don't ask me how I made that leap of logic, that I can't explain. *impish grin*

Clear as mud? Probably.

Fear

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that
brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass
over me and through me. And when my fear is gone I will turn and face fear's path, and only I will remain. -Paul Atreides Dune

I'm afraid today. Just a few innocent words set my heart to racing and let a squadron of butterflies loose in my gut. I may be faced with a situation tonight that only a few short weeks ago I shied away from with fear, jealousy, and insecurity riding me hard. There was much pain that night, much I'd like to forget. I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't afraid. But I want to face this fear head-on and I want to beat it. Is my spirit strong enough? Have I healed enough to make it possible? I don't know. My fear whispers, "too soon, too soon" half of me wants to listen and heed fear's warning. I want so very much to beg Master to not let anything happen but I won't. I'll share my fears with him and trust that he'll take care of me and see me through it.

I must focus on the good. I am loved, I am cherished, and I am worthy of his love. I am safe. I am his and he will not let me go. I am beautiful, I am desireable, and I am sexy.

Sometimes there is a pattern to life and it seems that the Universe is pushing me to work on this at its pace instead of my own ploddingly slow one. Fighting it only makes things worse, the Universe is implacable in this. Ignore it once and a once soft tap on the shoulder turns into a wallop upside the head with a 2x4. Resist and gentle urgings become a raging river dragging you along to where you need to be. The Universe is implacable, Master is far gentler and more understanding. It seems I've nowhere left to run or hide.

The Root of the Matter

Jealousy and insecurity, I'm supposed to be working on these issues. To work on them though, one has to get to the root of the matter, to what is causing these feelings, these issues.

I read somewhere that most jealousy and insecurity is caused by our own fears. So what fears do I have that are causing my jealousy and insecurity? Big ones. I'm scared of being abandoned, cast aside, found wanting. I'm scared of not getting my needs met. Underneath all my armor I'm very needy, I need attention, I need to feel loved, I need to feel wanted. I need a lot. When I'm aroused, needing pain, or vulnerable after pain play, I'm at my neediest. I'm most vulnerable then too, open, raw. One careless word or wrong look can shatter me. After years of keeping walls around this part of me then taking them down for Master, I don't quite know how to protect myself anymore. I don't know what the happy medium between walls and no walls is, does anyone?

So, how do I get over these fears? I know I have to let myself feel the truth of his love for me, let myself see and believe in the reality that he's not going to abandon me, cast me aside, or find me wanting in comparison to another. It's hard though, it's so hard. I know it's high time I drop the baggage from my past and I think I have dropped most of it.

It's just, gods, I grew up not being good enough, being compared to my perfect little sister and being found wanting, not getting any of my needs met, being used for what I could give and then tossed aside. How do you overcome that conditioning?? That was my reality for half my life. I was the dark child, brooding, silent, mysterious, and withdrawn. I'm sure at some point I was open and loving and as full of sunshine as any other child, but somewhere along the way that changed and I became what I was, and still am to some degree.

Master, I want to get over these fears, I do, I just don't know how. How do I let go the fear of not getting my needs met? You say that I should be assertive, aggressive, and involve myself when we're with another. But you're asking a slave to act like an equal. I don't know if I am able to do that anymore. It's so much a part of me to hang back and wait for your attention or your direction, to accept what you want to give when you want to give it, to not expect you to give me attention when I want it. I feel so jumbled up about this and I think I'm talking in circles.

How do you want me to let you know if I'm in a bad place in my head when we're not alone? Am I allowed to ask for a moment alone to talk? Am I allowed to ask for some reassurance, some affection? How do I do that without giving offense? I know you want me to handle this on my own, it's my issue, and to some extent I agree. But, I need, Master. I need. I don't think I can do this completely on my own.

I know I need to change my thought process, I need to replace the old tapes with new ones, and the only person I should compare myself to is myself. This is something I have to do on my own, I know. I know also that you believe that after all this time I should feel secure in my position with you, but think for a moment, how many years did I not know? I've not had very long, in the scheme of things, to get comfortable and feel secure. I'm still learning. You may not leave me in body but you've left me in spirit in the past and it wounded me more deeply than I'd first imagined. In my head I know things are different now, I know you'd never do that again. But inside I'm still cringing, waiting for it to happen again. The glue on that particular piece of me is still fresh and not quite dry.

Yes, my jealousy and insecurity are born out of fear. I'm scared to feel the way I used to feel. Empty. I'm scared to lose what we've worked so hard to build together. I'm so scared of it that I'm holding on with a death grip. So, I'm taking baby steps, I'm letting go a little at a time, one finger at a time. I'm trying to overwrite the old tapes. I'm not worthless, I'm not ugly, I'm loved, I'm lovable, I am valued for who I am. In time I will believe these things, they will be my reality.

Until then, I humbly ask for your understanding when I stumble. Please don't assume that since I've stumbled I won't get back up. I beg your permission to ask for and be granted assurances when I feel scared. Please continue to believe in me, I will continue to strive to be all you want me to be and more.

HumDrum

There just isn't much going on right now, and that's not a bad thing. I've had to quit school for now, I wrote about that on my other blog and won't rehash it here. Since I've got no reason to continue working evenings right now Master wants me to work days. I'm rather fond of the idea myself, I'm sick to death of being gone when my family is home. I had two days off last week and really enjoyed being here to take care of him in the evening and getting to spend time with my family. I'd much prefer that to be a regular occurrence than the occasional treat it has been for the past year.

I think if I were able to be home in the evenings I could perform more service for him. It's really difficult to cram everything into an hour and a half, we try to catch up on each others' day, talk about household stuff, spend time together, eat dinner, and have sex; all while both of us are just aching to go to sleep. There are things I want to do for him that just won't fit into that tiny time slot. I'd love to give him a pedicure every night, do the dishes, cook dinner, and whatever else he can think up for me to do. I really miss being a housewife. It's ironic, while I was a housewife I didn't much enjoy it and wanted something different and now that I've got that something else, I want nothing more but to be able to care for his home and be here to greet him with a smile when he gets home from work.

I was a different person before, when I didn't appreciate being a housewife. I believe I've grown a lot since then, I've definitely grown in my submission. So, we have to find a balance again. See if we can't get me working during the day so I can be here in the evenings with him. I just have to be patient, I've put in the applications and now it's up to the places I've applied with to decide if I match what they're looking for.