Under The Whip

There is a small corner of my world that belongs entirely to me. No collar hangs there. No title lives there. No expectations sit neatly folded on a shelf waiting for me to pick them up. Just me.

Some days, it is a spiritual space filled with candles, soft light, and quiet moments with the gods. Other days, it becomes my submissive altar, a place where I journal, reflect, and ask myself difficult questions. Occasionally, it is simply the chair in the corner of the living room after everyone has gone to bed, when the house is finally quiet enough for me to hear my own thoughts.

I've learned something over the years that I wish more people talked about in Power Exchange communities, Not every piece of you belongs to your dynamic. I know, I know. Somewhere, someone just clutched their pearls and whispered, "But isn't Total Power Exchange total?"\

Here's my slightly sassy answer, You're still a human being before you're a title.

Submission is a beautiful thing, but it was never meant to erase us. It should reveal us. Healthy dynamics make room for growth. They leave space for curiosity. They allow us to become more of ourselves, not less. And sometimes that means creating sacred spaces that exist outside of service.

For me, my altar is one of those spaces. It is where I can ask questions without needing permission. It is where I can sit with my spirituality, my fears, my hopes, and the parts of myself that are still unfolding. It is where I remember that service can begin with serving my own well being.

Because here's the truth, a submissive who knows themself serves differently than one who has forgotten who she is. I've also come to appreciate something equally important, allowing the people we love to have sacred spaces of their own. We talk a lot about supporting our partners, but sometimes support doesn't look like joining them. Sometimes it looks like protecting their time. It looks like saying, "This space is yours, and I will honor it." You do not have to participate in every spiritual practice your partner has. You do not have to understand every calling they feel.

And you certainly don't have to merge into one indistinguishable being simply because you share a dynamic.

Dominants are still people outside of being Dominants. Submissives are still people outside of being submissives. We're allowed to have hobbies, beliefs, rituals, and moments that belong solely to us.Imagine that, a whole human being with interests outside of kneeling. Revolutionary, I know. The longer I walk this path, the more I realize that healthy Power Exchange isn't about ownership of every breath. It is about stewardship. It is about creating an environment where everyone involved has the room to become who they are meant to be. Sometimes love looks like participation. Sometimes service looks like devotion. And sometimes service looks like quietly closing the door behind someone and protecting the sacredness waiting on the other side.

So yes, I have my own altar. I have moments when an entire room becomes mine, not out of selfishness, but out of necessity. Moments where I sit with my spirituality, my submission, my healing, and the ever evolving woman underneath all the labels.

And every time I leave that space, I return to the people I love more grounded, more present, and more authentically myself. Because I've discovered that sacred spaces aren't the opposite of service. They are often where service begins.

And if you're reading this wondering whether you're allowed to have a corner of the world that belongs only to you, let this be your reminder, You are. Light the candle. Close the door. And remember who you are when no one is watching.

There is a question that has been sitting with me lately, quietly tapping me on the shoulder every time I think I have myself figured out.

Do I actually know myself, or do I simply know who I have become in service to others?

That question has been uncomfortable. As someone who has spent a significant portion of my life in service, I know how easy it is to become exceptionally good at reading a room, anticipating needs, and finding fulfillment in caring for others. Some of us can tell you exactly how someone takes their coffee, when they're upset before they realize it themselves, and which words will make them feel seen.

And yet, ask us, "What do you need?" and suddenly we're buffering like a computer running on dial up internet. Funny how that works. Over the past several months, my experiences with Holy Fire have been opening my eyes to so much more about my relationship with service, devotion, and spirituality. It has gently, and sometimes not so gently, held up a mirror and asked me to look at the person standing in front of it. Not the kajira. Not the service oriented person. Not the title, the role, or the expectations. Just me.

Because here's the thing I am slowly learning, Devotion is beautiful, but if it only ever flows outward, eventually you run dry.

We talk a lot in Power Exchange about vulnerability with our partners, but how often are we vulnerable with ourselves? How often do we sit quietly and admit the things we don't want to say out loud? "I am afraid of disappointing people." "I don't always know what I want." "I am terrified of being unnecessary." "I don't know who I am outside of service." Those are not easy things to admit.

Self intimacy is a strange thing. It asks you to become a student of yourself. To learn your own rhythms, your own desires, your own boundaries. It asks you to stop performing and start listening. Can you articulate your needs? Can you identify your desires without filtering them through someone else's approval? Can you sit alone with yourself and still enjoy your own company? Those questions matter. Because there is a tremendous difference between devotion and loneliness wearing devotion's clothing.

Sometimes people serve because it fulfills them. Sometimes people serve because they are afraid that if they stop, no one will stay. And if that sentence made you shift uncomfortably in your seat, welcome to the club. We have jackets. They're probably black leather.

The older I get, the more I realize that healthy Power Exchange is not built upon one whole person and one incomplete person. It is built upon two individuals who have done the difficult work of knowing themselves. You should be able to stand on your own before choosing to kneel beside another. Not because kneeling is lesser, I will forever argue that there is incredible strength in intentional surrender, but because surrender means something entirely different when it is a choice rather than a necessity.

There is power in saying, "I know who I am without you, and I still choose you."

That is devotion. Likewise, there is power in saying, "I know I will survive without this dynamic, but I choose to invest myself in it anyway." That is devotion too.

Holy Fire has taught me that spirituality is not always found in grand moments. Sometimes it is found in accountability. In honesty. In sitting quietly and asking yourself difficult questions without immediately reaching for comfortable answers.

Who are you when no one is watching? Who are you when no one needs you? Can you offer yourself the same compassion you so freely give to everyone else? I suspect many of us are still learning. And perhaps that is the point.

So, if you've made it this far, I leave you with one final question, Before you devote yourself to another person, have you ever considered becoming devoted to yourself first?

Because I am beginning to believe that the strongest acts of surrender do not begin at someone's feet. They begin in front of a mirror. And if that mirror occasionally calls you out on your nonsense? Well, that's just part of the spiritual journey.

There is a misconception that has followed submission for as long as I have been in the lifestyle. People assume that submissives kneel because they cannot stand.

As if the act of surrender somehow erases intelligence, competence, ambition, or life experience. As if submission is something that simply happens to us rather than something we consciously choose.

I have never found that to be true.
 

Some of the most submissive people I know are also the people running households, leading teams, raising children, teaching classes, managing businesses, and holding entire communities together with little more than caffeine, stubbornness, and sheer force of will. We pay bills. We make difficult decisions. We advocate for ourselves. We survive things that should have broken us.

And then, at the end of the day, we kneel. Not because we must. Because we choose to.

Submission is not a personality trait. It is not being soft spoken, agreeable, or incapable of independent thought. It is not a factory setting that gets installed at birth. It is a choice, one that is made over and over again, sometimes daily, sometimes moment by moment.

There is an incredible difference between saying, "I have no choice but to follow," and saying, "I could lead myself, but I trust you enough to place myself in your hands." One is dependence. The other is surrender.

People often speak about Dominance as though it carries all the weight in a power exchange dynamic, but I would argue that submission carries its own gravity. There is a tremendous amount of strength required to look another person in the eye and say, "I am capable of walking this path alone, and I am choosing to walk it beside you instead." That is not weakness. That is courage.

It also means that obedience and blind compliance are not the same thing, something I wish more people understood. Blind compliance asks us to turn our brains off. It demands silence in the face of discomfort and praises unquestioning loyalty. Healthy obedience, however, is informed. It is intentional. It understands the difference between trust and worship.

I do not stop being intelligent because I kneel. I do not stop having opinions because I wear a collar. And I certainly do not surrender my ability to say, "Excuse me, but I think we should revisit this decision." (Respectfully, of course. Usually. Depending on how much coffee I've had.) Experience has taught me that submission is not about becoming less. It is about becoming more honest.

The older I get, the more intentional my surrender becomes. Experience has not made submission harder, it has made it heavier. Every lesson learned, every relationship survived, every scar earned adds weight to the choice.

When I was younger, I thought submission was simply giving. I never took it seriously. Now I understand it is discerning. It is asking difficult questions. It is evaluating character. It is recognizing that trust is built in inches and maintained through consistency. It is understanding that authority should be earned, not assumed.

After all, if I am going to hand someone the metaphorical keys to my kingdom, they should probably know where the front door is. Submission means more when it comes from someone who is fully capable of withholding it. That, I think, is the part people miss.

The kneeling matters because standing was always an option.

So no, being capable does not make me less submissive. If anything, it makes my submission infinitely more meaningful. Because every time I kneel, I do so carrying my experience, my strength, my voice, and my autonomy with me. And perhaps that is the true weight of the kneeling.

Knowing that I could stand. And choosing, with open eyes and an open heart, not to.
 

When the Weapon Teaches the Wielder:, Spiritual Stewardship From the Right Side of the Slash. I greatly appreciated my time at The Holy Fire Conference. Especially since it taught me all about my experience in this lifestyle.

There is something that people do not talk about nearly enough in Power Exchange dynamics, and that is what happens when the submissive has significantly more experience than the Dominant. For some people, that sentence alone is enough to make them uncomfortable.

We have this tendency in the lifestyle to assume that experience should always flow from left to right. That the Dominant should always know more, teach more, guide more, and have walked farther down the path. But life, and people, rarely fit themselves neatly into the boxes we build for them.

I have been actively involved in this lifestyle for twenty-five years. Twenty four years of learning, serving, making mistakes, growing, studying, unlearning things I thought I knew, and continuing to evolve into the submissive and slave I am today. That number can feel intimidating.

If you are a Dominant with five years of experience and you find yourself interested in someone like me, I can absolutely understand why that might feel daunting. There can be a fear that you are somehow not "enough." That you need to know everything before stepping into a dynamic. That if your submissive knows more than you in certain areas, you have somehow lost authority before you've even begun. I want to offer another perspective.

Your submissive's experience does not diminish your authority unless you allow your ego to convince you that it does. My twenty four years do not make me better than my Dominants. They do not place me above them. They do not grant me some magical superiority badge that gives me more value within a dynamic. They simply make me experienced.

Experience is a resource. Nothing more and nothing less. I have often described myself as a tool. Not in a degrading sense, but in the most practical sense imaginable. A well crafted tool has value because of how it can be utilized. If I have spent decades learning about service, protocol, spirituality, communication, Gorean philosophies, Leather traditions, ritual, devotion, and Power Exchange, then those experiences become resources that can be offered. What my Dominant chooses to do with those resources is entirely their decision.

I can teach what I know. I can answer questions. I can provide insight when asked. I can offer perspectives that come from years of experience. Then I kneel. Because submission was never about knowing less than the person leading me. Submission is choosing to surrender within the agreements we have made.

I think sometimes we do Dominants a tremendous disservice by implying that they must become experts before they are worthy of leading. Human beings are wonderfully complex creatures. No one is going to know everything. The truth is, I do not expect my Dominants to be experts in every subject I am passionate about. I do not expect them to know more about spirituality than I do. I do not expect them to know more about service than I do simply because they stand on the left side of the slash.

What I do expect is humility, curiosity, integrity, and a willingness to continue learning. And I hold myself to those exact same expectations. There is also an incredible amount of responsibility that comes with being the more experienced submissive in a dynamic.

Having more experience means I have a greater duty not to abuse it. It means I do not get to manipulate conversations simply because I know more terminology or have attended more events. It means I do not get to weaponize my knowledge to undermine authority or push a dynamic in the direction I personally prefer. It means understanding that obedience is still obedience whether my Dominant has one year of experience or thirty.

My responsibility is to remain inside the agreements we have created together. To keep my word. To show devotion. To communicate honestly. To offer information when appropriate and to respectfully step back when decisions are made. Experience should never become entitlement. If anything, experience should make us softer in our humility.

I also believe one of the most beautiful things I have witnessed in healthy dynamics is when Dominants learn that leadership is not synonymous with knowing everything. Sometimes leadership looks like creating space for your submissive's skills and talents to flourish. Sometimes leadership looks like saying, "Teach me." Sometimes leadership looks like protecting the time and space necessary for your submissive to pursue their own spiritual calling and personal growth. That is not weakness. That is stewardship.

One of the things I have been learning more deeply over the past several years is that spiritual growth cannot be forced into Power Exchange simply because we happen to live within one. There are moments where my spirituality belongs to me as an individual. There are moments where it belongs to my service. And there are moments where it becomes something shared and nurtured alongside my partner.

Those distinctions matter. You do not have to walk the same spiritual path as your partner to honor it. You do not have to participate in every ritual to support someone's calling. Sometimes support simply looks like making space. It looks like asking questions. It looks like listening. It looks like protecting sacred spaces without needing to occupy them yourself.\

I think many people avoid spirituality, not because they aren't interested in gods, rituals, or meditation, but because spirituality requires something much more difficult. It requires intimacy with ourselves. You cannot truly surrender to another person if you have never learned how to sit with yourself. You must learn how to be emotionally intimate with who you are. You must learn vulnerability. You must learn how to articulate your thoughts, needs, fears, desires, and values. Self awareness is not a destination we arrive at one day and proudly announce we've completed. We are lifelong students of ourselves.

Power Exchange has taught me many things over the years, but one lesson continues to surface again and again: submission does not require me to become smaller. It requires me to become more honest. The same is true for Dominance. We do not need to flatten ourselves into someone else's idea of what these dynamics should look like. We are building relationships between human beings first and titles second.

If your submissive has more experience than you, wonderful. Learn from them. If your Dominant has less experience than you, wonderful. Respect them. Neither situation is inherently problematic unless ego enters the room. At the end of the day, my twenty four years of experience do not make me difficult to lead. They make me practiced in how I serve. I am not looking for perfection in my Dominants. I am not measuring their worth against the number of years listed on a FetLife profile. I am not keeping score.

The Dominants I respect most are not the ones who claim to know everything. They are the ones confident enough to say, "Let's learn together." And perhaps that is one of the greatest lessons I continue to learn as I walk my own spiritual and service oriented path. Sometimes the weapon teaches the wielder. And sometimes the greatest act of leadership is having the wisdom to listen.

"If the violin is making awful sounds, it is generally not the violin's fault." - Anonymous

I heard someone say this at the Holy Fire Conference this year, and it has been rattling around in my brain ever since.

For whatever reason, it struck something deep within me. Maybe because I have spent so much of my life identifying with being of service. Maybe because I am a submissive. Maybe because, if I'm honest, I have spent years believing that if I was not thriving in a dynamic, it must somehow mean I wasn't trying hard enough.

I simply needed to be more obedient. More disciplined. More devoted. More patient. More submissive.
I needed to become a better violin.

In the Leather, BDSM, and Gorean communities, we often talk about service, growth, leadership, structure, and responsibility. We talk about the beauty of watching a submissive blossom under the guidance of someone who has taken on the responsibility of leading them. We celebrate when someone flourishes under a collar, becomes more confident in their service, and grows into the best version of themselves.
But what happens when they don't?

For the longest time, I believed the answer was simple: the submissive must not be trying hard enough. The older I get, however, the more I realize that human beings are far too complicated for that answer to ever be true.

Sometimes the violin isn't being played correctly. Sometimes the music being asked of it isn't what it was designed to create. Sometimes the strings are too tight. Sometimes they're too loose. Sometimes the room is too humid. Sometimes the musician is exhausted. Sometimes the violin has cracks that nobody knew were there. And sometimes, it is simply the wrong violin for that particular musician.

That doesn't make either one bad. I think we do ourselves a tremendous disservice when we approach power exchange dynamics with a need to determine fault. Someone has to be wrong. Someone has to be failing. Someone has to be the problem. Relationships are rarely that simple.

Sometimes a submissive is struggling because of unresolved trauma they haven't yet healed from. Sometimes a Dominant lacks the capacity to provide the leadership they desperately want to give. Sometimes boundaries aren't being communicated clearly. Sometimes needs have changed over time. Sometimes moral or philosophical differences become impossible to ignore. Sometimes communication slowly breaks down despite everyone's best intentions. And sometimes, a Dominant's leadership style and a submissive's submission style simply do not align. None of those things automatically make anyone a bad person. It simply makes us human.

This is something I have experienced more than once throughout my life, but especially within my current relationship dynamics.

Many of you know that I am in a polyamorous relationship with my Masters. For a very long time, our romantic relationship and our power exchange relationship existed side by side. Those two things felt inseparable to me. Today, they are not.

At this moment in our lives, we have ended our power exchange dynamic. Not because anyone stopped loving anyone. Not because there was some dramatic explosion or betrayal. Not because anyone failed. We simply do not currently have the capacity on either side of the slash to maintain the type of power exchange that all of us deserve. And that realization has been both heartbreaking and strangely beautiful.

It is heartbreaking because power exchange is not simply something I do, it is woven into the very fabric of who I am. It is beautiful because choosing to acknowledge when something isn't working is, in its own way, an act of love.

Right now, we are simply a romantic poly throuple. That sentence still feels strange to write.

This season of our lives is confusing for all parties involved. Damon, Calvin, and I are navigating what our relationship looks like without the structure that existed for so many years. We are learning one another all over again in some ways.

The truth is, I don't know what our future looks like. I don't know whether we will eventually return to a deeper power exchange dynamic. I don't know whether collars will once again find their place around my neck. I don't know what service will look like six months or two years from now.

What I do know is that life has been throwing an extraordinary amount of bullshark at all of us lately. We're stressed. We're exhausted. We're healing. We're preparing for a move. We're trying to survive while also figuring out who we are becoming. And that's okay.

Sometimes growth looks like leaning deeper into service. Sometimes growth looks like stepping away from it for a while. My hope is that once we've moved, settled into our new lives, and found our footing again, we will be able to revisit what a deeper connection and power exchange might look like for us.

Or perhaps we will discover something entirely new. Both possibilities are worthy of exploration.

What I am learning through all of this is that submission is not measured by how much suffering I can endure while pretending everything is fine. It is not measured by how tightly I cling to a title or a collar when the relationship underneath it is asking for care and attention. Submission can also be honesty. Submission can also be vulnerability.

Submission can also be saying, "This isn't working right now, and I love you enough to acknowledge that."

I am still a Leather person. I am still Gorean. I am still devoted to service. And even though I am not actively their slave or held beneath their collar today, Damon, and Clvin remain my entire world. I love them fiercely and deeply. I am, and always will be, loving and loyal to them. Titles may change. Dynamics may shift. Relationships evolve. Love remains.

And finally, perhaps the most important lesson I took away from that quote,

Sometimes a violin is broken. And sometimes the person holding the violin is not the one meant to fix it. Sometimes the violin needs to retire. Sometimes it simply needs to spend some time in the repair shop learning how to become whole again.

Therapy, healing, self reflection, and personal growth are not signs of failure. They are acts of stewardship over the instrument we have been entrusted with, ourselves.

No violin should be expected to produce beautiful music while its strings are frayed and its body is cracked. So if the music sounds awful, perhaps we should spend less time assigning blame and more time asking better questions.

Is the violin okay?

Is the musician okay?

Are they meant to create music together?

And what kind of song might they create once they've both had the opportunity to heal?

Sometimes, that question matters far more than who is at fault.

This year at Holy Fire, I learned something about myself that made me laugh, tear up a little, and feel incredibly seen. Apparently, I'm a Y Model slave. The moment I heard it explained, I wanted to stand up in the middle of the class and yell, "OH MY GOD, THAT'S ME!" If you've ever met me in person, this revelation probably doesn't surprise you in the slightest.

I have always asked why.

Not because I wanted to challenge authority. Not because I wanted control. Not because I thought I knew better. Quite the opposite, actually. I ask why because I am endlessly fascinated by people, especially the people I choose to surrender myself to.

I want to know how your mind works. I want to know what experiences shaped your philosophies. I want to know why you chose Protocol A over Protocol B. Why this rule matters. Why this ritual exists. Why this expectation is important to you. Tell me about the history behind it. Tell me the meaning you've assigned to it. Tell me what lights that little fire in your soul when you teach it.

My submission has never been rooted in blind obedience. It has always been rooted in intentional obedience. For me, understanding creates depth.

For years, I struggled with feeling like asking questions somehow made me a "difficult" slave or a "bad" submissive. There are countless jokes in our communities about submissives who ask too many questions, who are exhausting, who are difficult to lead because they want explanations for everything. And while I understand where some of that frustration comes from, I also think much of it is rooted in ego rather than compassion and understanding.

There is a difference between questioning authority and seeking understanding.

I have never once asked "Why?" because I wanted my Masters to justify their authority over me. I asked because I wanted to know them more deeply. I wanted to feel closer to them. I wanted to understand the beautiful, complicated, brilliant minds I was privileged enough to serve. Knowledge has always felt intimate to me.

Some people crave physical touch. Some people crave words of affirmation. I crave understanding. Give me philosophy at two in the morning over a cup of tea. Give me an hour long discussion on why you chose a particular protocol. Tell me why service matters to you. Tell me why you structured our dynamic the way that you did. For someone whose love language is curiosity and whose submission is deeply intellectual, that kind of intimacy is downright intoxicating.

Knowing why, after the fact, is erotic in a way that is difficult to explain unless you've experienced it. I ache deeply for intelligence. I crave mental mind fuckery. I want to understand the mechanisms of leadership, authority, service, and power exchange. I don't simply want to obey, I want to grow through my obedience.

But here's the part I had to learn over time.

There is a time and place for everything. The younger version of me wanted to understand before I could surrender. The version of me that exists today understands that surrender comes first. I had to learn obedience first.

Do the thing.
Complete the task.
Sit with my emotions.
Process the experience.

And then, when appropriate, come back and ask the questions. That lesson changed my submission entirely. Because asking why isn't more important than obedience. It is what follows obedience that allows the learning to take place. There's also another piece of this conversation that I don't think gets discussed enough.

Trauma.

I am someone who carries significant childhood trauma and trauma from past relationships. Growing up in environments where authority figures were unpredictable, unsafe, or abusive taught me that understanding someone's intentions was often necessary for survival. For me, asking why was also about learning whether someone was safe enough to trust.

Could I trust their leadership?
Could I trust their intentions?
Could I trust that what they were asking of me was rooted in care, wisdom, and integrity?

Trust isn't built through titles or collars. Trust is built through consistency, communication, compassion, and time. Asking hard questions helped me build that trust.

Throughout my relationships with both of my Masters, some of my favorite moments weren't the big ceremonies or elaborate rituals. They were the long conversations afterward. The philosophical discussions. The debates. The explanations. The moments where they allowed me to peek behind the curtain and understand the "why" that existed beneath their leadership.

Those moments made me feel seen. They made me feel safe. They made me surrender more completely. Because here's the beautiful irony of being a Y Model slave: the more understanding I have, the more easily I surrender. I don't become more resistant when I understand someone's leadership, I become more devoted to it.

Questions create connection. Connection creates trust. Trust creates surrender. And surrender creates growth. I think we've done ourselves a disservice in some corners of BDSM communities by treating curiosity as disobedience. We sometimes forget that submission isn't one size fits-all. Not every slave thrives under the exact same leadership style. Some slaves flourish with very little explanation. Some flourish with extensive teaching and discussion. Neither is more valid than the other.

Being a Y Model slave isn't an excuse to argue. It is not permission to negotiate every instruction or refuse obedience until you've been intellectually satisfied. It is understanding that curiosity can be an expression of devotion rather than defiance.

Some of us learn by asking questions. Some of us fall in love through understanding. Some of us surrender more deeply when our minds are invited to kneel alongside our bodies and hearts.

So if you're leading a Y Model slave, I encourage you to pause before assuming their questions are challenges. Sometimes they're simply invitations.

And if you are a Y Model slave like me, learn when to ask your questions. Learn when obedience comes first. Learn to trust the process. There is profound beauty in saying, "Yes, Sir," completing the task, and later curling up beside your Dominant and asking, "Please, tell me why."

Because sometimes the answer isn't simply about the task at all. Sometimes the answer teaches you who they are. And for a curious little slave girl like me, there are very few things more intimate than being trusted enough to know the why.

There are moments in life where it feels like everything is happening at once. Not one storm. Not one heartbreak. Not one impossible thing.

Everything.

I don't write this because I'm looking for sympathy. I don't write it because I expect anyone to fix it. I'm writing because I think I've reached the point where pretending I'm okay is exhausting, and maybe putting these words somewhere outside of my own mind will help me understand them a little better.

The truth is, I feel completely lost. I lost someone I loved deeply. Someone I didn't just call a friend, I called her my sister. That kind of grief isn't something you simply "move on" from. It settles into your bones and quietly reminds you that the world is a little less bright than it used to be.

Then there are my parents. Watching my father disappear into dementia has been one of the most painful things I've ever experienced. Every call feels like grieving someone who is still alive. Every forgotten memory feels like another page being torn from the story of who he was.

And now, I'm beginning to watch my mother slip away too. She's so sick. She's lost so much weight that she barely looks like herself anymore. Every time I see her, it feels like she's fading a little more. I wish I could help her. I wish I had the money to save her house from foreclosure. I wish I could fix her health. I wish I could take away her fear.

But I can't.

All I can do is stand there feeling completely helpless while someone I love slowly disappears. That kind of helplessness changes you.

My own living situation has become another constant source of stress. Fearing for my life everyday is dreadful. It feels like there's never a moment where I can truly exhale. Every day brings another worry, another responsibility, another reminder that life doesn't seem interested in giving me a break. And somewhere along the way, I lost myself.

For those who know me, you know how deeply my submission means to me. Serving my Masters has never been something I had to do. It has always been something that brought me purpose, peace, and fulfillment. Lately, I have nothing left.

By the time I reach the end of the day, I am emotionally empty. Not rebellious. Not resentful. Just, Empty. That realization has been devastating.

I feel like I'm losing a part of who I am. A part of my identity that has defined me for years now feels buried beneath grief, exhaustion, depression, stress, and survival. I don't recognize myself anymore. I'm also fighting battles most people never see. Deep depression. Other, mental health struggles. Physical health issues. The kind of invisible weight that makes even the smallest tasks feel like climbing a mountain with broken legs.

People often say, "Just take it one day at a time."

Sometimes one day feels impossible. Sometimes one hour feels impossible. And when enough impossible moments pile on top of one another, You disappear.

That's what I think I've done.

I disappeared inside myself. Not because I wanted to leave the people I love. Not because I stopped caring. But because I simply didn't know how to keep carrying everything I was carrying. It is like I've wandered so far into the darkness that I can't even remember where the path back begins.

I don't know how to find the light right now. I don't know what the first step looks like. I don't know how to become the version of myself I miss so much. I only know that somewhere beneath all of this pain, She's still there.

I have to believe she is. Because if I don't believe that, then I've already lost far more than I can bear.

So today, I'm not writing because I have answers. I'm writing because this is where I am. Lost. Confused. Grieving. Overwhelmed. Trying to survive a life that has asked more of me than I ever thought I could give.

Maybe tomorrow I'll find one small piece of myself. Maybe next week I'll find another. Or maybe healing is simply admitting that right now. I don't know the way home.

And maybe that's the most honest thing I've said in a very long time.

The other night, I was curled up on the couch with my Masters, half paying attention to the show, half just enjoying being close. It was one of those quiet, comfortable moments where nothing feels heavy. And then the scene happened.

Someone on the show needed a code phrase, something subtle, something that would let their partner know they were in danger without tipping off the person right in front of them. I remember laughing at first. Because somehow, we didn’t have one.

And that felt ironic in the most ridiculous way. I am such a true crime junkie. I’ve watched the documentaries, listened to the podcasts, gone down the rabbit holes, and my college degrees are right in this field. You would think this is one of those conversations I would’ve had at the very beginning of our relationship.

But we hadn’t.

And the more we laughed about it, the quieter it got. Because then it hit us, this actually matters. Not in a dramatic, paranoid way. Not in a “the world is always dangerous” way. But in a grounded, real life kind of way. The kind where you acknowledge that life is unpredictable, and having a plan doesn’t mean you expect the worst, it just means you care enough to be prepared.

So we talked about it. Really talked about it. What it would sound like. How it would work. What would feel natural enough to say in front of someone else without raising suspicion, but still clear enough that it would immediately set off alarms for the person hearing it.

I’m not going to share what we chose. That part stays ours. But I will say this, if you don’t have something like this set up with your partner, you might want to think about it. Because you never know. And creating it is more intentional than you might think.

Code Words Aren’t About Fear, They’re About Trust

The biggest thing I learned in that conversation is that a code phrase isn’t just about danger. It’s about understanding each other deeply enough to recognize when something is off.

The best phrases aren’t dramatic. They’re subtle. They blend into normal conversation, but they carry a weight that only your person would recognize.

For example:
“Hey, can you check on the blue folder when you get home?”
“I think I left the stove on, can you go check?”
“Did you feed the hamster yet?” (this works if you don't own a hamster.)
The key is choosing something that feels just slightly out of place. Not enough to raise suspicion for anyone else, but enough to make your partner pause and think, wait, something’s wrong.

When Subtle Isn’t Enough

We also realized there’s a difference between uneasy and urgent. And that matters. Sometimes you don’t just need someone to check in, you need them to act.

That’s where a stronger phrase comes in. Something that still sounds natural, but signals immediate danger:

“I need you to come home right now, please.”
“Can you bring me my red sweater?” (especially if you don’t even own one)
“I locked myself out again.”
Can you bring me med medication, I forgot it. (Use a medication you are allergic to.)
It’s not about being clever. It is about being clear, without being obvious.

Layers Matter More Than You Think

One of the smartest things we talked about was creating levels. Because not every situation is the same.

A softer phrase can mean: Something feels wrong, check in with me.
A more urgent one can mean: Call me immediately.
And then there’s the one that means: Don’t call me. Call for help.
That layering creates clarity in chaos. And when you’re under stress, clarity is everything.

What I Hope You Take From This

If nothing else, take this. Have the conversation. Don’t assume you’ll “figure it out” in the moment. Stress doesn’t make us more creative, it makes us simpler, quieter, smaller. Plan for that version of yourself.

Pick something easy to remember. Something you could actually say naturally. Something your partner will recognize instantly without needing to second guess. And maybe even test it. Not in a scary way, just enough that you both know it works.

You can even build in small signals, like a specific missed call pattern or an emoji you’d never normally send. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It just has to be understood. We never know what the future holds. And I don’t live my life expecting something bad to happen. But I do live my life loving the people I trust enough to protect, and to be protected by.

And sometimes, that protection starts with something as simple as a sentence that means more than it sounds.

I want to begin by sharing my personal understanding of humility and the way I experience it.

Humility is the quality of having a modest view of your own importance. It means recognizing your strengths without exaggerating them, accepting your flaws without denial, and not placing yourself above others.

At its core, humility is about balance, being confident but not arrogant, self aware but not self degrading. A humble person is open to learning, willing to admit mistakes, and respectful of others’ value and perspectives.

It’s not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself accurately, without needing to be the center of everything.

I've recently heard someone say the statement, “Humility makes us forget who we are for the sake of our Masters.” And every time I read it, something in me resists it deeply, because that has never been my experience, and more importantly, it is not what humility means to me.

My humility does not erase me. It does not blur the lines of who I am, or soften me into something shapeless and dependent. It does not strip me of identity, voice, or self worth. If anything, my humility has required me to know myself more, not less. To understand my needs, my boundaries, my emotions, and my growth in a way I never did before.

Before I stepped into this dynamic, I struggled with self worth. I let people walk over me because I didn’t believe I deserved better. That wasn’t humility, that was a lack of self. That was silence where there should have been a voice.

What I have now is entirely different.

My humility is a conscious choice. It is me standing firmly in who I am and choosing to offer respect, trust, and devotion, not because I am lesser, but because I am aware. Aware of my strengths. Aware of my flaws. Aware of the power in giving myself with intention, not losing myself without it.

I do not disappear behind my Masters. I stand beside them as myself, growing, learning, sometimes stumbling, but always present. My voice still exists. My thoughts still matter. My feelings are not erased for the sake of obedience. True structure, true leadership, and true connection do not demand that kind of disappearance, they require honesty and presence.

If I were to “forget who I am,” there would be nothing real left to offer. Because devotion without identity is empty. Submission without self awareness is not strength, it’s vulnerability without protection. And that is not something I am willing to call humility.

Humility, for me, is knowing exactly who I am, and choosing, willingly and fully, how I show up. It is grounding, not erasing. It is clarity, not confusion. It is strength wrapped in softness, not silence forced by fear. So no, humility does not make me forget who I am. It reminds me.

I feel like I’m finally in a place where I can talk about a recent experience that affected me deeply. It is something that ultimately led to me stepping away from, and blocking, someone I had been mentoring and growing close to as a friend. I won’t be sharing any identifying details, but this situation has stayed with me in a very real way.

Content Warning: - This writing contains references to abuse and domestic violence. Reader discretion is advised, especially for those who may find these topics distressing.

I met this person through social media and we connected quickly. After some time, I invited them to join our server, so we could talk more easily. I was genuinely excited, we had a lot in common, and I was happy to welcome a new friendship into my life. Over time, they began seeking guidance not only from me but from others in our space, both Dominants and submissives, around power exchange and relationship dynamics. Eventually, I took on more of a mentorship role with them.

As time went on, they would come to us frequently in distress, sharing ongoing struggles within their relationship. They described patterns of verbal harm, blame, and emotional pain that raised serious concerns. Based on what was shared, and even messages I was shown, it appeared to be an unhealthy and possibly abusive dynamic. Many of us gently encouraged seeking professional support, but they expressed that they did not believe in therapy. Looking back, that was something I wish I had paid closer attention to.

This wasn’t something I navigated alone, others in our community, including my Masters and several experienced Dominants, also offered support and perspective. We all cared deeply and wanted to help.

Things escalated over time. They became physically ill, and there were concerns about neglect in their care. One night, they came to us in visible distress, saying they had been physically hurt by their partner. To the point their face was covered in bruises. We encouraged them to seek medical attention, which they did, though they chose not to disclose the full situation to healthcare professionals despite encouragement to prioritize their safety.

A short time later, there was another incident. They reached out again, frightened and asking for help. Begging to speak to me alone after informing eight other people, including my Masters that their partner had badly beaten them up again. I was eventually able to speak with them privately, and during that conversation, it became clear they were in a very unsafe moment. Their partner entered the room while we were speaking. They begged their parterner to leave them alone, and not to hurt them again. They refused to leave so I calmly asked for space to be given so they could feel safe.

That request was not received well.

At that point, I made it clear that if space wasn’t respected, the only way to ensure safety might be to involve emergency services. The situation escalated emotionally very quickly. They began telling my friend how bad of a person I was, because I desired those bad men with guns to show up to hurt them. Then they demanded my friend hang up the phone, because they were done with me. That was they hung up while saying they will reach out to me in a moment. They did not reach out right aaway so I worried about them.

I was deeply afraid for their wellbeing.

With the limited information I had, Their name, city/state, and one phone number. I made the difficult decision to request a welfare check. I did this after guidance fro my own Masters. So I did this out of genuine concern, hoping simply to ensure they were safe. When authorities arrived, they stated they were fine. That my friend had no idea what I was talking about.

Afterward, they were understandably upset with me. They felt that I had crossed a line, and they used terms that I don’t feel accurately reflect what happened. Saying I doxxed and swatted them? I used only the information they had given me, and a welfare check is not swatting. Even so, I can understand why it may have felt overwhelming or invasive from their perspective.

For me, this was never about control, panic, or projection. It was about care, concern, and doing what I believed was the safest option in a moment that felt genuinely dangerous.

What ultimately led me to step away completely was receiving a message that felt threatening in nature, one that did not feel like it came from the person I had been speaking to, but rather reflected outside influence from their spouse. At that point, it became clear that continuing any form of contact was no longer healthy or safe for me.

I want to be clear about one thing, I will never regret trying to ensure someone’s safety. Even if it means being misunderstood, even if it means being seen as the “bad guy” in someone else’s story, I can live with that. What I could not live with is doing nothing in a moment where someone may have been in real danger.

At the same time, I also understand that leaving an abusive situation is incredibly complex. It is not simple, and it is not something anyone can force another person to do. I hold space for that truth, and I genuinely hope they find safety, healing, and support in time. Before it is too late.

Sometimes caring about someone means making a choice they may never agree with. And sometimes, it also means knowing when to step away with compassion, for them, and for yourself.

They are of course still active in this community. I hope they can find a better support system for themselves before they becoem more harmed, or their partner ends up harming someone else.