Leather as a lifestyle (a research assignment)

This is an assignment I was told to write by Mistress Carrie it is something that seems easy enough to do until you actually do it. It is because the leather community is so shrouded that I am eager to learn about it. But i find efforts to do so very disheartening and it seems there isnt really any right answers but there are plenty of wrong ones. That is what makes writing on this subject so hard so I did what I could what what I had.

Leather history is a relatively untapped field of study, at both the academic and non-affiliated scholarly levels. The Leather Archives and Museum have the most focused collection, but they are still working to catalog their holdings. They are doing a great job of it, but it takes time. Relatively few scholars - academic or otherwise - have tapped their collection for serious study. There are a few collector/researchers who are actively working to gather, preserve, and study ephemera related to the history of the lifestyle, but only a tiny number of them have done much to share their findings with others. Since Leatherfolk had to be secretive about their practices in the past, they rarely published anything about the lifestyle, and their personal papers were often destroyed upon their deaths (by friends). AIDS killed off so many of the old Leathermen that it is difficult to gather oral histories that go back further than the 70s. Given this, ephemeral material (newsletters, personal letters, flyers, posters, etc.) is vitally important in the study of the history of Leather, but is also difficult to gather.

As far as the values that the leather community holds close it seems to be different for everyone. Though there are some things that I have read that I feel to be a good summary. Leather can be about building community and family, about tradition - tradition meaning building on what was laid out before, not necessarily blindly following.

It can be about service by both Tops and bottoms, service to others, service to Family, service to the Leather community, service to society as a whole. Almost every leather group I've seen has a charity (or charities) they support through fundraisers and other efforts. 

It can be about character. Call it what you will, Honor or what not, it boils down to being respectful of yourself and others, maintaining integrity and honesty in dealing with yourself and others, accepting personal responsibility for your own words and deeds, establishing and maintaining an attitude of humility (humbleness, not embarrassment) even when achieving great things. It means acknowledging the contributions others make in your life, be they Top or bottom. 

But it can be so much more for some people it is things like high protocol and old guard. For some people its just some shiny cow hide that smells good. I think for me personally it means that you are take the lifestyle in a very serious fashion. Your slave are held to higher standards as is the owners. It seems to be a group that you have to earn respect in rather than just become accepted in. For example it is bad form in the leather community to wear leather that was not gifted to you or that you did not earn for the Men in this lifestyle it is not just fashion it is something they that ver seriously and expect you to aswell and i completely respect that. Some dont wear leather at all and just ascribe to the values of the community. One of my favorite things about the Leather community is that they take it seriously its not a game to them. Their values and lifestyle they hold very near and dear to their hearts and with the newer breed of people trending into BDSM it is very nice to see people that stay true to who they are.  They may seem un-welcoming at first but i think once the respect is earned that they are truly a supportive part of the BDSM community.

I took some time and I looked around for leather recourses around Ky and outside of ones that we already know I cant really find anything. I suppose out best resources for anything Leather related are those that are closest to home such as Master Kristina who is always there for us and I am sure will be more than happy to offer sound well thought out advise as she has much experience in this lifestyle and is a good understanding friend. 

Ms Constance who really know everything there is to know about the Leather community and is a very well respected member of it and seems to be very supportive in the efforts of new comers into it. She has a lot of advise to offer and is someone I respect in this lifestyle for all that she has done. 

I am probably the last person that should be writing a paper on something i truly do not well understand. But it is something I am attracted to Its because of the earned respect that makes me want to strive to earn it. I always believed respect is something that should not just be given. I want to win a leather title because it is an opportunity to be able to teach about the dynamics in a Master slave relationship both to educate the newer people that are scared to be a slave or have pre conceived notions about what a Master and slave are. Aswell as for those who are in a Master slave relationship to see some things we do in our everyday lives that help contribute to who we are as a couple. To offer another perspective to problem solving and many other aspect important to a power exchange. 

Like I said i really am no authority on the subject given to me my best advise is to consult the Leather lifestyle group on feet read the threads and get info. Mistress is much better at retaining information from reading than I am that is why i encourage her to read and do research on things because I just have so much trouble comprehending written word sometimes. 

it been awhile

Mistress put me in some fairly restrictive bondage yesterday evening and I remembered why i like being to sensory deprived and restricted. It gives me a clear head and just time to reflect and think, things that are often taken for granted. She laid me on the floor in a heated blanket armbinders and ankle cuffs and a hood.   It was delightful and it has been so long since bondage has been used on me. It made me remember how much i love to just be put in bondage and ignored. You get that eager sense of wondering when She is going to let you out. You hear ear foot steps ad eagerly await Her touch but instead you feel the Her breeze right past you as if you weren't even there. Its a wonderful sensation.

There was also another fun playtime where my hands were bound to the bed frame while Mistress rubbed my chastity and squeezed my balls while she got Her self off many many time. This was amazing and so much fun and quite humbling. It made me think that this was the very first time this bed was actually used for any sort of bondage besides a chain running to my collar. I liked it. It also made me realize that while the core values of our dynamic are not sexual sexual stuff is very fun and i sometimes get caught up in how important service is in our dynamic i forget how much fun some forms of play can be.

I have realized how hard it is not having a car aside from me going stir crazy in Mistress's home the fact that we are trying hard to be much more active in out community and that we are fighting a very uphill battle for a Master slave leather title. Not having reliable from of transportation is very hard to make it all work. You can only call in so many favors before that gets old and with so much going on between now and feb my hopes of coming into this thing as prepared as possible are looking grim.

great week

I had a great week enjoyed spending time with my Mistress. The more time i spend with Her the more i realize that it would be impossible to be apart. I even realized this when we first met when She would go back home after a weekend in columbus I would obsess about serving her. I knew She was the person I wanted to own me for a lifetime. I am old enough now to understand what that means, to understand what it takes to devote your life to another human being. Other dommes i had served as a younger mind i didnt fully understand this concept yet. A perfect example of this is my collar I remember telling my Mistress that a collar didnt mean much and that it was something you just wore to show ownership. I didnt know how much a collar ment to Her until i realized how much it ment to me.

passion

I am suppose ot write about the passion and drive that was there when our relationship first started but I really dont know I think maybe it was the general excitement of a new journey. It has been so long now but not really at all the only thing i can do is try to continue to find that passion again and do what I can to keep it. Something that really helps me is my community being surrounded by like minded people who have idea and experiences to share really opens me up and makes me eager to show that i can be an excellent servant and that I can make my Mistress look good. Also the more we prepare and discuss competing the more excited i become more i want to strive to be the best slave possible. I love to do anything i can to enhance that M/s relationship that I have. It is something that is very special and close to my heart. Something that I have alot of passion for and all my life i looked for someone with that same passion and when I met Her I was finally sure i had found it. So that very well could be one of that things that drove me in the beginning also She is responsable for introducing me to a community of mostly pretty awesome people. Even the people that i dont care much for i still enjoy showing off that I am a good slave and that I do as I am told and that I am well trained. Mistress used to get compliments on how well trained I was and how good I was things like that make my day and give me more drive and passion.

some photos taken off fetlife

words

Mistress continues to have great verbalization and continues to hurt me until She is done watching me suffer not until i cannot take it. As She is hurting me she is telling me to shut up, stop whining things like that just put me right into subspace. It is amazing how fast Her words alone can put me into subspace. Her words make me feel amazing the more firm and harsh Her tone is the more my body relaxes into putty ready to be molded.

Humiliating session

Mistress gave me the pleasure of some bondage last night, it was a pleasure it seems like forever sine have have felt the joy of restricted movement. Her verbal was AMAZING it was almost a constant dialogue during play and even when we werent playing She was even kind enough to throw an insult my way or make me beg for Her ashes. I really hope She keeps up the great work with her verbalization especially during play and not just with me with anyone. I think when Mistress is verbal she get in a much better mind set becomes more creative and has more fun. For example she had a wonderful idea to put my pig nose on over my hood while bound just for effect then making me mount my pooh bear that was wearing a strap on while people looked on from the collar me video chatroom. But i think that my favorite of all was that when i couldnt take ridding the dildo anymore I got off but Mistress made it clear that She was not through.  She pushed me on all fours and slowly forced the dildo back inside me and I cried out in pain and She jsut kept pushing and i could feel it painfully fill my sissy cunt but it also felt good to know that She didnt care and knew that I could take it.