I have a new Top. Wow, never thought I'd write that, for many reasons. I'm really happy! Unfortunately he lives far away so we haven't seen each other yet. But I have to say, this guy does it right. Which leads me to examine what makes a good Top, for me? Well, first of all, he is respectful and always has been; he politely messaged me to initiate contact, nothing sexual. I like that. Some girls may like it when a Top, or a guy looking for a date even, says right off the bat that he wants to fuck you, but that turns me off. I like compliments for sure, but since I really think some guys will fuck anyone and anything, that particular topic, right away, doesn't make me feel at all special. My new Top has always been respectful of my boundaries, asking permission for anything he feels might be taking a new step and being completely willing to discuss our budding relationship. This is particularly important to me - defining the relationship. I am married. I am going to stay married. I am also exploring polyamory - and my husband and I are open about everything. The polyamory itself - revealing that desire - is problematic because to many (maybe most, not sure) men this says "easy". Just a tip for the guys: it doesn't mean that. But my new Top cared enough and was honest enough to discuss this with me. He is respectful of my marriage and although he might want "more", he knows that right now is the time to build a friendship and trust. We had a long conversation the first time we spoke on the phone and he asked me all about my desires and needs. The really important thing about this is that he listened. And the next time we spoke he was right on it! For the curious, I told him that I needed someone to show me that he cared about me as a person. Yes, I like to be petted and complimented but I also like a very firm Top who pays close attention to me and my actions and reacts the way I need him to. With my new guy this means that he noticed every time I said anything self-deprecating and dealt with it, firmly. I used to think I didn't care much about being made to appreciate myself; I'm aware and evolved and self confidence comes from within right? Well having someone deal with my bad habit of devaluing myself, in this specific, concrete way has really given me a boost! And guess what? I'm not putting myself down anymore, partially because I asked my husband to punish me for the same thing! So it has really worked! I feel empowered and completely worthy now - I realize that I deserve to be treated with respect, care and love and I'm asking for it! My new guy also is very specific in his compliments too. If I get spanked (and yes this is self spanking) he tells me what he knows about me thus far and specifically what he likes - and very little of it has to do with my looks. Though he does tell me how beautiful I am and for once - I believe it. So I suppose "doing it right" is caring enough to pay attention to me, as a person, not just an ass. "Doing it right" is being very firm when I test him - and I have (he passed). "Doing it right" is being very loving and attentive but appropriate for the stage of our relationship. "Doing it right" is showing me that I am important to him - I don't require constant attention but it's my view that if something or someone is important to you, you make time - even if it's just a 3 minute call or a text saying you'll chat next week! He shows me that I matter to him, that he wants to get to know me better. It also doesn't hurt that he is great on the phone; playful and funny sometimes, affectionate and open with his feelings, yet when it comes time for firmness (such as if I try to slip in a remark about myself that is less than complimentary) - he is THERE. He doesn't miss anything! I really need someone who sees me. He does. Not that I need validation from the outside - I know that this can only come from within, but it is really satisfying to relate this way to someone else. I hope that he feels good about himself as well - I've told him everything that I just wrote. He wouldn't be doing this Top thing right, for me, if he wasn't a good person to begin with. And he is.
About the self-spanking:
Yes, I really thought, in the beginning, that I wouldn't be able to get any satisfaction from this activity - I'm a practical person and it just seemed silly! But it has been really good! It's because of him! It's not the spanking or the pain that does it for me - I do actually bruise myself because I get into it. It's the voice on the other end of the phone that somehow transforms me into a naughty little girl who knows she's been bad and has to face the consequences! I've cried! this has almost never happened for me - once with my husband, that's it. But I've cried many times with my new guy, not from pain (though it does smart!) but from the whole scene - he does it right!! So I'm revising my previous opinion on self spanking - with the right Top it works for me!!

Switches and self spanking...

So today I did something new. I was chatting with a spanko friend online about life, our kids, work etc. Somehow we got around to talking about switches; the kind you get spanked with. I mentioned that I had never been switched but was really intrigued about the whole scenario - ever since a friend of mine said that he had thought of making me cut a switch (but he didn't...boo!). I've been curious ever since about what it would feel like to be ordered to go cut a switch. First of all, I'd be embarrassed. I have no idea how to choose, cut or prepare a switch - and I like to feel confident about things when I do them (I suppose the embarrassment is a big part of it though). I'd feel so silly! I'd probably stamp my foot and refuse to do it despite the consequences, just to avoid looking like an idiot LOL!
So I told my friend this and he suggested that I cut one and try it on myself, with his "guidance" (yeah, RIGHT). I thought about it and decided to do it - I've tried toys on myself before, no biggie. He told me what to do and I did it. I cut a medium sized switch off of my apple tree (about the thickness of the middle of my pinkie, about 18 inches long, as flexible as I could find). I tried to get all the bumpy parts off and even used my poceket knife to peel the bark off (yes, I have one - from when I was a kid - a pretty little mother of pearl handled one - still sharp enough for this!).
He told me to take everything off below my waist and bend over and give myself ten hard licks. I did, as hard as I could. It wasn't bad - stingy, whippy, with a lasting tingly burn. Then he had me do it fast, about 25 more licks. This hurt more - he said to do it less hard but I actually built up momentum and ended up hitting harder. That was fine - I wanted to see how hard I could do it! It stung and I got pretty warm , but it wasn't hugely painful. I just couldn't get the leverage to whip myself as hard as I think someone else would. Still, I had a few lines and redness. He told me I should have raised lines but I didn't. Leverage problem!
Next he had me switch the FRONT of my thighs, kind of on the inner thigh. Ten times each leg, hard. OK THIS HURT. More leverage obviously, plus this area is really sensitive. Definite marks and lasting stingy burn. I still feel it as I'm writing this and it's been a couple of hours. He had me do this a few times, both front and back and tell him how I felt. Then he had me grab my hairbrush and spank myself twenty times on each cheek hard. Well I CAN spank myself with the brush pretty hard - it's very heavy so if I get a good swing going, ouch. But I really have never self spanked - I just know from trying the brush out a few times. So yeah, the brush hurt and left me pretty red.
Another kind of funny thing about this -and I'm gonna get in trouble for this - is that I was on the phone with someone else for half of this switching experiment! I can never tell someone to call back LOL - besides, I kind of liked having someone hear me do this. But the result of that was that I got in trouble for that and had to spank myself with the DAMN BRUSH like fifty times for making my friend on the phone jealous!! Well, that and I said something bad about myself. Now I'm sore and probably bruised because he was listening and making sure it was hard. Ouch.
So ended my first exploration of self spanking and switching. Result? I am still intrigued with the switch and want to play with it. I actually like the lasting sting. In an experienced Top's hand, it could be quite a thrill. And yes, I know it would hurt. The whole "scene" of being threatened with it, being made to go cut it, etc, would be amazing I think. We'll see - maybe someday I'll get to do it for real. Oh, a Top with a sexy southern accent would just send me over the edge with that scene too. LOL!! In the meantime, I saved the switch for my hubby and we'll see how he does! He's going to most likely give it to me pretty hard tonight - any marks I have from this little experiment will just inspire him. GRRRR!
Self spanking? Eh, no biggie. Doesn't turn me on - but someone ordering me to do it while on the phone, scolding me, etc? Yeah, that does it for me, but it's the ordering and scolding more than the pain of spanking. I have too much real spanking experience to get really excited about anything less than being dragged forcibly across a lap!

What do you do with a tender heart?

I have a tender heart, a loving soul. Is this incompatible with my desires to play?? I don't know, but it seems that most if not all males just want to fuck you and will say ANYTHING to do so. I am not a cold, calculating person. I do not use people. I am also intelligent, but I want so much to trust, and I'm so compassionate, that maybe I'm gullible and too naive for most men I meet. I just have had a hard time believing that most if not all men just want to use me - I really thought that it was a ridiculous cliche, sure, true for some, but not most. I am becoming quite the cynic. I am also polyamorous, and this is most likely miscontrued as being "easy" - but as a friend told me, "most men don't care what it means, if they can fuck you - you can call it polygon". I'm toughening up for sure but I'm losing some of my optimism and love for people as well. We really are sucky, we humans. At least that's what I fear. And that feels so lonely.

My favorite EVIL toy

It's not even mine but it certainly left an impression (that didn't fade for a week!!). I'll post the story soon, as soon as someone finishes checking it for accuracy (since I was a bit tipsy at the time!) ...!!

What do you do with a Toppy Bottom??

I am coming to the conclusion that I am a Toppy Bottom. Hmmm. What to do? Not a problem in some relationships, but in others - it tends to tip the power balance my way and hurt the dynamic. A Top who is not very dominant in real life can be overwhelmed by someone like me - I'm dramatic and intense, very loving but that can sometimes be perceived as demanding. I know what I want, I have high standards, I like (and sometimes really need) attention. I can be insecure and look for validation from others. Especially when I'm feeling down. I have a relationship where this tendency of mine has overwhelmed the other person. This is a long distance friendship - if I were closer physically it would be easier because he could deal with me in person, but it's all by way of text, email, occasional phone conversations. I have been very depressed (even suicidal) lately due to circumstances in my life and I've never told this friend that, but I have been very intense with him. Dramatic at times. A pain in the ass sometimes. Maybe a lot. He is now pulling away, not answering texts except when the subject is very superficial. I don't blame him - he is most likely feeling (maybe unconsciously) that he has no power in this relationship and needs to pull away from me. Even my husband of 20 years has told me that I can be too much for him, even now! And this friend is young. I also realize that I am unlike most or all of the people he knows and interacts with. I'm a lot harder. I want to return the power to him - I want him as a play partner, a Top, but my energy has become too much for him. I am pulling back my energy from him - and I need to tell him this. He needs to hear my voice, but I'm pretty sure he won't call me, at least for awhile - and I don't blame him at all! So I'm wondering what the best course of action is here. I feel that I should give him a week or so, talk to my counselor, then maybe call him then. I don't want to badger him to talk just to tell him I'm backing off. But I am pulling back my energy, because this is the best way to love him now (and I do love him). He needs to have power in this relationship, he needs to call the shots now. This is how I can best love him. This is someone that I felt an immediate connection to - I feel that we've known each other for a long time. We are old friends. I miss him, I want so much to play with him again...but it has to be his call now, because I love him.

Sometimes it's not fair.

Last night my spanker (my husband) gave me a really nice spanking, after threatening me and saying all the things that he knows really turn me on (he loves to repeat "put you across my knee" a lot!). He pulled me across the bed and across his bent knee and gave it to me good until I was squealing and very warm. The thing is, once it was done and he had also done a lot of nice things to get me all relaxed and feeling good - I really didn't want to have sex. And for him, that's the payoff for spanking me and learning to Top me so well. So I feel guilty. I had a good reason, but I also feel that I don't need a reason - if I'm not into it, I'm not! It's not fair, I know. But sometimes a spanking is all I want. Call me a bad girl. He'll get back at me, no worries!