This evening, I was accepted into The Level 1 BDSM Submission course that is taught at a well-known and respected BDSM Education center on Second Life called "A Meeting Place". At this point, you're probably thinking "But wait Jane, this course is being taught on Second Life, so that would mean that anything they teach you there can only be applied if you're on Second Life". However, this is surprisingly not the case with this course!
When I spoke to the instructor prior to class starting, I asked her specifically "Can the information that is given in this course be applied in real life as well as in Second Life? Because as I am in a Real Life relationship with my Mistress, I don't want to waste your time if you're only going to teach something that is usable in Second Life and not in Real Life" Unfortunately, many of the BDSM courses that are taught in Second Life only give information that is usable solely if you're on Second Life.
The instructor smiled and said "The information that is presented in this course, can be applied for use both in and out of second life. It's designed to help you get a better idea of who you are as a submissive, improve your skills, and to help you get a better idea of what the D/s lifestyle entails".
Normally, each level of the course (there are 2 levels) cost 500 linden each (which is $2.50 USD), and the payment goes towards paying for the land. However, I explained my real life financial situation to the instructor, (That I'm on Social Security Income, and 90% of my check that I receive each month is spent on food, clothing, and household needs) and was granted a full scholarship for the level 1 course. (Still not sure about level 2 though).
The lessons take place every Sunday evening from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM Second Life Time (which is 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM Eastern Standard Time for me) and the level one course will last for 6 weeks.
Last night, the teacher went over the syllabus for the course, we all briefly introduced ourselves to the class, and then we discussed about the distinctions in D/s. The most interesting thing that I learned during last night's lesson was the difference between a Top & Bottom VS Dominant / Submissive.
Surprisingly after being involved in the BDSM lifestyle for 15 years, when she asked "Can anyone tell me what the difference is between a Top & Bottom and a Dominant / Submissive?" I stopped typing for a moment and thought "God, I have no idea!" Well, I learned that a Top & Bottom is a temporary role, that is only done during scening. Where as a Dominant / Submissive is a lifestyle role and is done 24/7.
I have to say, that I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of this class. Mistress and I both feel that this will greatly help me learn more about myself as a submissive in the lifestyle, but also help me work towards improving my submission to better our relationship overall.
Thank you, A Meeting Place for providing D/s Second Life residents with this wonderful course! I am eagerly looking forward to my next class on Sunday!
