I haven’t seen this pic before, but as I found it on a Sorority blog there is a chance that someone has found it before me. If you have, just let me know and I will add your link to this post.
As you are aware of by now, I have cut down on my online time on spanking related things dramatically. This will continue for the foreseeable future as I simply don’t have the time anymore to spend as much time online. Of course I wish I could spend 16 hours a day on the Internet, but I can’t 🙂
As I mentioned before, I got a little bored with Fetlife. There were certain amounts of nastiness creeping in that reminded me of the old newsgroup days. From being questioned when I was trying to promote the Shadowlane party, to being questioned about my blog and my purpose for trying to draw traffic, which of course is a subtle way of increasing affiliate sales. Hey, I’m honest about it, I make money off this site from the links on the side. So honest in fact that I have set up other bloggers numbering in the double digits on how to make money for themselves. It was just a gradual thing, certain aspects just began to niggle me, like the choir of people who trump at the first opportunity “DON’T JUDGE”, yet that is all they are doing is judging. Now don’t get me wrong, it isn’t exactly anything new, it’s just that as my online time has reduced, so has my tolerance for interacting in such a manner.
A lot of it is my own baggage, you have to own your own baggage if you are going to make things right. My issue is that I am quite opinionated so I have to be prepared to state my case. I like to think that I do state my case quite politely and respectfully, but at the same time I have to make a conscious effort to have my say and move on. You will never move forward if you keep going backwards. A couple of times at spanking parties I have met with people to discuss something, to me that is the manly thing to do. The days of the newsgroups taught me one thing, I never want to have people perceive me as being an Internet warrior. When the time comes I will say what I have to say, until that time I have no need to continue saying anything online. I’m sure at Shadowlane I will have a discussion or two, but that is five weeks away yet 🙂
As I mentioned above, it isn’t anything new, the change is in myself, I don’t have the time for it at this time. Fetlife hasn’t changed any, only my own views on using it have changed.
Most of you also know that I have started a new venture, one of vintage photos. This is something that brings me untold joy and I now have a group on Facebook that has got over 600 members in 3 weeks. The interaction is awesome and my long term plan is to create a network, something that has got off to a great start. I’m an entrepreneur, always looking to see how I can create things. The hot movies thing that I promote I got on early, and so many other bloggers copied the link direct from my site that I now make as much money from my cut of what they sell as I do from what I sell myself. I have long term plans that I have no need to bore you with 🙂
Anyway, I’m not going anywhere, I will continue to search and find unique spanking pics, and also provide updates at the right time, I’m just taking the laid back approach right now. The new hobby that I have is really exciting so I am spending the time enjoying that, up until the Shadowlane party of course, then I will get back to being the ultra popular top and I will seek out those naughty girls who need a good spanking. Hey, I’m even growing my sideburns back just for the party 🙂
There comes a time when many of us question the amount of time and energy we have involved in the spanking scene. I think part of it comes with middle age, part of it is what I have called “spanking party burnout”, and perhaps part of it comes from an accumulation of negative experiences within the spanking scene, which is itself no longer fresh, no longer new.
And I don’t blame you for being bored with Fetlife – it is boring! It’s kind of like the old spanking newsgroups which have now pretty well passed into history: some excited back-and-forth between people who will probably never actually meet and some pointless disagreements. It’s too much time put in for too little “spanking thrill” output.
So it makes sense that you should pare down your operations a little. I think concentrating on vintage spanking is a good idea, because you’ve probably got more vintage photos than anyone else! I myself am going to have to slow down after this year from my current rate of 4+ new spanking items per week plus occasional essays and articles – it’s simply too much time.
And I think that’s the “bottom” line at our age – the time for doing non-spanking things in life is growing short, and after devoting so much of ourselves to the scene, it’s time for a little reassessment and re-balancing of competing priorities. But you’re not going to be leaving the scene completely, as some of the flakier spanking actresses have, so fans of this blog should not worry too much.
Great picture, Rich. Thanks for sharing. It looks like there’s still a chance I might make Shadow Lane (this would be my first one). If so, I’ll try to say hello! 🙂
I haven’t been in the scene all that long and I’m getting bored. Of course, I get bored easily in the first place, and I can understand somewhat where you are coming from. That’s not to say I am bored with spanking. That is something that probably will not happen, but it could down the road. If it does, I will just take a break and then get back into it.
I love your vintage pics of Americana and I check here to see what you have to share, too. There is a lot of vanilla things to be doing, too, that give us joy so have fun in whatever you choose to be doing.
Fetlife got annoying quickly. Too much bickering amongst unstable people with too much free time on their hands and not enough fetish and fun.
Do what is right for you sir, but you are an inspiration to many of us and I so appreciate all you do for the scene.
Regards
Ron
I’ve gotten VERY disenchanted with the spanking scene for MANY reasons. To name one, Fetlife has many unstable troublemakers who seem to revel in creating havoc for undeserving members.