Ten years ago today...

Sorry, but there is no Fantasy Friday story today. It's a special day for me and I wanted to share this instead.

There are some milestones you expect in life. As I child I someday expected to marry and have children and I am very grateful that these things came to pass. Once I was married I fully expected to some day have a tenth, twentieth and thirtieth wedding anniversary. I will be grateful, but not shocked to have our fortieth, fiftieth and beyond. But never during the majority of my years did I ever think I’d be celebrating ten years of blogging.

When my doctor found a way to release me from crippling pain I was in for months I chose not to waste the second chance I felt I’d been given. When I typed my life long fascination, spanking, into google I don’t think I really knew what a blog was. I was looking for some interest spanking pictures or maybe a good story. What came up, after a little searching, was Bonnie’s blog, My Bottom Smarts. This was a chance finding that completely changed my life.

I was forty-nine at the time and for the first time in my life I found I wasn’t alone with my ‘weird’ thoughts and longings. Other people were also fascinated by spanking, by the thought of being spanked, even disciplined. They were normal, happy, hardworking women (mostly women). As I found more blogs I found women just like me – they talked about their children, their husbands, their careers, their pets – and they talked about spanking. The word I could barely say out loud, they were discussing. They talked of implements, pervertibles, corner time, rules, consequences… I had never been more captivated in my life.

I had to be a part of it, first as Cassie, because I wanted to share her stories. But I also wanted to be me and ask all the questions I was so curious about. On July 22, 2006 I put up my first post on New Beginnings and my life has never been the same. Just a very short list of what blogging has given me:

My husband. Nick and I changed from pleasant roommates to a close, loving married couple.

I made the most amazing friends anyone could imagine.  Friends who were just like me, and who never made me feel I ever had to hide who I really was.

Way more confidence in every aspect of my life – the beginning of my belief in my own self-worth.

My writing career.

And everyone of these changes came about because of my readers. My first few comments were very encouraging and began building my confidence. Many commenters became friends and their friendships made me even stronger. Readers encouraged me (and occasionally gave me the kick in the butt) to keep talking with Nick, and they’re still doing it.

My readers made me feel strong, they made me feel smart, they made me feel as if what I had to say helped some of them or at least entertained them. And, God bless them, they made me believe I could write. What a gift that was for me and what joy my writing gives me.

Writing a little spanking blog is not a monumental achievement. It’s not something I grew up dreaming about. But thanks to those of you who take a few minutes of your day to read what I write and especially to those of you who have commented over this past decade – my life has changed in amazing ways.

A blog isn’t going to bring about world peace or solve global warming. But the comments I’ve gotten here have improved my life, they improved my marriage and made me a happier more confident person.  Being happier made me a better mother and that  improving my children’s lives and helped them become super adults. My being a happier, stronger more confident person made me a better teacher which gave me the opportunity to help my students and who knows what they might go on to accomplish.

When you think of all that blogging doesn’t seem like a ‘waste of time’ as it’s been called by some. I’m just one person farbling on about my life, but when you add your comments it’s like tossing rocks in a pond – the ripples continue and you have no idea who you may be influencing.

I’ve been blogging for a decade

 and the main thing I really want to say to you all is