"You mean you don't just tie them up and beat the shit out of them?" people ask.
"Only if that is what they want." I reply.
"No, only if that is what W/we want." I add.
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To my way of thinking, you are on a good track.
One of the very best books I have read on the subject of BDSM is Ties That Bind, by Guy Baldwin. It is a collection of columns he wrote for DRUMMER magazine. Guy is Gay, as am I, but his description of going through "the cathartic portal" is the best short description of a successful BDSM scene - or relationship. That chapter is titled "Fear Is the Enemy." It is about accepting and enjoying one's nature / role as Dom(me) or sub.
I like the title of that chapter, and for the folk in this group, I suggest reading it as "Fear Is the Enema."
I am known as a Master, with a Committed sub, a boy-in-training, and many part-time subs. Not many of them are into enemas (H2E) butt the dynamic of giving / receiving enemas can be the same as the dynamic of any good BDSM scene or relationship. And, yes, BDSM is not all or even always about pain and discomfort. The most successful scenes or relationships, it seems to me, are about Connection, Affection, and Passion. And the afterglow can be remarkable.
Just my $.02 worth.
e-chuck
AKA Dr. D.