The best of the kinky rest – 10: An internet spanking anniversary
Posted by Abel on 10 Aug 2007 at 07:30 pm | Tagged as: In the Neighbourhood
We love The Punishment Book, a collection of accounts of real-life domestic discipline to which Haron occasionally, ruefully contributes. The post I’m going to select as the final (and my favourite) of our tour around other spanking blogs isn’t about a specific punishment, though. It’s our dear friend Mija’s entry from the start of this year, marking the tenth anniversary of her online delurk, on alt.sex.spanking.
At the time I was 29, in the middle of the first year of my MA program and floundering in an unhappy marriage that had taken my 20s and left me feeling far older than I was. My (now) ex husband saw my interest in spanking as “outside any idea” he could have about me. I’d buried my desires deep, only to have them reappear, triggered by writings of feminist Dorothy Allison.
ASS/SSS gave me another world and life to be part of, a place where I could write and post the fantasies that had made up my inner life for years.
Mija goes on to describe how she started to swap emails with Pablo, who quickly “seemed like the only person in the world who knew and cared for me”. They’ve now been married for over two years.
My life is happier now than I even could have imagined then. I owe more to this community then I can express. It’s hard to know what to write. My best friends, parties, playmates, scenes and loves have come from here. This place and you people have given me more than I could ever hope to return.
This summer I’ll turn 40. I’m in the final year (or so) of my doctoral program. My 30s have been the most wonderful time of my life and I feel so fortunate to have found ASS/SSS, the scene and all that has come from those discoveries.
I look forward to the next decade. Life takes swings and steps backwards sometimes, but ultimately it seems to always get better.
Ten years ago today I discovered the spanking community. I really believe it was the most significant thing that will ever happen to me.
This is truly touching stuff – and Mija’s very personal post speaks for so many in its exposition of the joy that the internet has brought to those of us who share this kink. (And we’re especially proud that quite a few folks have chosen The Spanking Writers as their own safe, friendly place to delurk).
-------Now you can buy spanking-related gifts with our original designs.
Posts
And, of course, we’re extremely lucky to have Mija in our community. With her enthusiasm, intelligence, and all around sweetness, she’s given us so much.
This post really made me think, I hadn’t realised just how much my life had changed probably almost entirely as a result of discovering the spanking community on the internet, I’m still very much one of the quiet ones, although I did delurk very happily on this site long before I had even heard the term “delurking” and it most certainly is a safe, friendly place to do so and to be
I’d feel lost with out it
I found the strength to end a long term vanilla relationship that was probably doing me a lot more harm than good, found the best friend I could ever wish for, someone to guide me, motivate me, love me for who I am and give me a good walloping when I need it. I’ve also learned to accept who I am and what I believe in, to be proud to do so and I also intend…very soon
to meet up with some fellow spankophiles, not something I’d have done without the internet and email, in fact not really something I ever even considered possible before finding the wonderful world of spanking on the world wide web… I’ve got so much to be grateful for, not least knowing that there are so many wonderful, eloquent, intelligent, sensitive and friendly people who write so much that strikes a cord with me. I love you all x x x
Thank you, Sarah, for such a lovely, touching post - reading that ranks as a true high spot in our 18 months or so writing this blog.
And I do hope you enjoy your meeting with fellow spankophiles!
I did indeed delurk on this site, and just as Abel writes, it felt safe here, and it still does, about a year later.
My life is so much the richer for all that I have learnt on the internet. I have discovered aspects of myself that were hidden even to myself, and none of this would have been possible without finding all that I found on the internet. I distinctly remember being in the middle of an exercise class one day and thinking about all the lovely conversations we have had here and feeling a warmth towards you all as if we were the closest of friends. I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity to look into myself as I have and for all the comeraderie along the way.
Sincerely
Rob
Awwww, Rob, that’s so lovely. Thank you for that touching comment.
I do especially like the thought of you being distracted in an exercise class. Of course, the class in my mind would be lead by an instructor who would notice your absent-minded gaze, and thrash you soundly for your lack of concentration
Thanks Abel. I am sorry to have to tell you that it’s a woman instructor. I’ve made myself unavailable for another class she takes. She would call out to me, “Come on, Rob, I want 8 laps in a minute. Go! Go! Go!” or “Now 50 steps up onto the next level; each leg, GO!!!!” “Now skip for a minute”, “Now leap frog for a minute….” and on and on….
Trust me, a thrashing sounds cheesecake in comparison.
Abel - I met my fellow spankophiles today, it was wonderful, really lovely people, as I’d known they would be and hopefully it was just the first of many meetings, fingers crossed
Rob - that’s OK, I can cope quite happily with the thought of the occasional lady being allowed to dole out punishments…
Sarah - glad you had a nice time, and I’m sure they felt likewise.