Managing a Successful Long Distance Relationship.

Last September, I did a brief presentation on how to make a successful long distance relationship. I gave this presentation because my slave lives in New Jersey and I live in North Carolina, a 10-12 hour drive. More recently, I have been asked about how to be successful over long distances by a friend. I thought my words would make a good post, so here goes.

The key to any successful relationship is communication. When dealing with hours of physical separation, this is even more important. To make things work, hours must be spent talking, listening, hearing your partner. Effort is required by all parties in the relationship. If only one person is trying, then it will fail. I choose the term partner particularly in light that this is a blog focused on BDSM and D/s M/s relationships. My slave compliments me.  We are equals in an unequal relationship. She completes me, I complete her.  The sum is larger than either of us alone. But equally if either of us is not present in the relationship, then the relationship is less than either of us alone.

Fortunately we have some amazing tools in this modern era to assist our efforts to keep in touch.  In the past, when couples became separated by miles and miles of distance they could only write.  Long slow weeks and months may pass between letters. Later came the telephone. With the telephone, you could call and talk for hours, but with the caveat that if you were not careful you could have a phone bill that would cost you many hundreds of dollars (I can attest to this fact myself). Now we have cell phones with unlimited talk time, computers and the Internet.

Cell phones offer at least two options for communication. The first is the most important: Voice.  You can talk as much as you want as long as you want to someone in your country for one flat rate.  Many carriers offer free calls to those in your network or circle. This is fantastic compared to years past.  SMS is the other option, which means you can send a short message or carry on a conversation when talking may not be wise. Meetings at work, dinner in a restaurant, hanging out with friends, even the movies (though those around you may frown at this, lol). Those are features available on even the simplest cell phone these days, add to it smart phones like my beloved iPhone and you end up with capabilities of a modern desktop in your pocket.

Computers on the Internet offer almost too many options.  The one I want to focus on here is Skype. Skype allows a nearly flawless voice connection computer to computer for free. It works like AIM or Yahoo! Messenger, but the quality is better. It allows a fantastic video to be sent as well from your webcam. Combined with a nice, comfortable headphone (I recommend usb connections over mini-jack plugs) and you can spend hours together. My girl and I spend hours watching TV or playing on the computer this way. She is so addicted to me that we have a habit of going to sleep with headphones on. (Headphones are not designed for this and wear out at an ungodly rate this way, LOL).

I hope that the above has been helpful to you. Let me know how you handle the separation from your loved one. Do you have tips that I have missed? Let everyone know, in the comments.

MV

Service Book of Days 3/15/10

v Outside my window… (weather, what do you hear, what do you see?)  is darkness, coldness and rain.  The weather has not evened out yet but I can feel spring coming J.

v my thoughts… are melancholy.  Went to clean out my sister’s apartment. Her life being sorted through and picked over.

v Today’s Quote…Forever is composed of nows. Emily Dickinson US poet (1830 – 1886)

v i am thankful for…being able to appreciate each day that I have.  I don’t rush my days by wondering about or waiting until tomorrow.

v From my service training…(any skills, training etc; notes you want to share this week) Grace and inner peace.

v From the kitchen…(menu for the week, what are you cooking?)  made curried chicken with potatoes.  The kids liked it the first day but tolerated it the second day.  We are not much of a leftover type family so if I make leftovers it is usually spaghetti.  I also made them sausage gravy with biscuits for breakfast and my two boys did not try it at all…lol.  We are not gravy people either but I figured they should at least try something different.

v i am wearing… Master’s shirt.  Feeling in need of being next to big body and in his strong arms today.

v i am creating…(crafts, sewing etc;)  nothing at the moment.

v my adventures this week…(where are you going this week?)  no adventures this week.  I will be hanging around the house with my kids and getting my energy back.

v Becoming well read…(What are you reading this week?)  Listening to my podcasts.

v i manifest and co-create…(what are your hopes, dreams, and prayers this week) Words of hope and peace and confidence for my children.  Words of perseverance and the desire to do it now instead of later

v Today’s Melody…(what music are you listening to? even if it’s just the sound of a bird…) Golden by Jill Scott

v One of my favorite things…is to take a hike in the quiet.

v further plans for this week…keeping it low…no plans for the week.

v Still….life(share a picture you’ve taken OR a picture you found online that speaks to you)  Photo used with permission via creative commons copyright:

http://www.everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=575

http://www.everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=575

Want to start something different.  Here are the directions:

Once a week on Monday you will respond to the above prompts.. more is better. Post your response on your blog or website.

Mention the blog (service savoir faire) and offer a link back to the main page of the blog. This way others can participate in the project as well!   www.servicesavoirfaire.blogspot.com

So now that you know how, please feel free to join me. 🙂

Mississippi Prom Cancelled Due to Stupidity

Normally I don’t talk about non-kink things, but I try to be sex positive. I support people of different sexual orientations and try to help out when I can. Others, well not so much. In Mississippi, a local school board was faced with a lawsuit over a lesbian and her date being prohibited from attending the prom. The right thing to do is to let them attend. The wrong thing is to cancel the prom. But stupid is as stupid does, as the wise man said. The USAToday has this about the story:

A Mississippi county school board announced Wednesday it would cancel its upcoming prom after a gay student petitioned to bring a same-sex date to the event.”Due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events, the Itawamba County School District has decided to not host a prom at Itawamba Agricultural High School this year,” school board members said in a statement.

Constance McMillen, an 18-year-old senior at Itawamba, recently challenged a school policy prohibiting her from bringing her girlfriend as her date to the April 2 prom. McMillen, who is a lesbian, and the Mississippi chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union urged school officials to reverse the policy both on McMillen’s choice of date and attire. She also wanted to wear a tuxedo to the dance.

Let’s send some support to her. God bless her and the tribulation she has been through.

MV

Service Book of Days 3/8/10

  • Outside my window… (weather, what do you hear, what do you see?)  the weather has been absolutely beautiful.  i was out this morning with a light jacket.  it felt really good to open up the windows and let some fresh air in.  i so love seeing and feeling the sun…i am like superman, i get my energy from the sun
  • my thoughts… thoughtful.  i have been thinking about death and how people make resolutions, just like they do on new years, to stay in touch with each other. but just like a new years resolution, 2 months later the communication stops and it is back to normal.  this time i won’t make a resolution i will continue to reach out to my family in whatever way possible and there are so many possible ways these day (email, text, voicemail, facebook) just to let them know that i do care and i am here.
  • Today’s Quote…Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate.  Chuang-tzu (369 BC – 286 BC)
  • i am thankful for…all the little things
  • From my service training…(any skills, training etc; notes you want to share this week) consistency despite circumstances.
  • From the kitchen…(menu for the week, what are you cooking?)  gonna make curried chicken this week.  made some potato salad yesterday and the kids ate the whole bowl. so that gave me a little bit of boost to my cooking skills 😀
  • i am wearing… so it is monday and i am not wearing the black cowl neck or black pants…lol  i am wearing a tan turtle neck and bluet jeans with warm fuzzy socks.
  • i am creating…(crafts, sewing etc;)  nothing at the moment.
  • my adventures this week…(where are you going this week?)  no adventures this week.  I will be hanging around the house with my kids .
  • Becoming well read…(what are you reading this week?)  listening to my podiobooks from Scott Sigler.  I love this author.  He also sells hardcover books.  He has a new hardcover book coming out in April which is a prequel to one of his audiobooks and i am so looking forward to getting it.  You can check him out on http://www.scottsigler.com or on itunes.
  • i manifest and co-create…(what are your hopes, dreams, and prayers this week) Peace and tranquility and for certain members of my family to stop acting like “those people” when someone dies.  Those people would be the ones who only think about what they can get.
  • Today’s Melody…(what music are you listening to? even if it’s just the sound of a bird…) No songs today
  • One of my favorite things…is a cup of freshly brewed tea.  such a soothing experience to make and drink.
  • further plans for this week…keeping it low…no plans for the week.
  • Still….life(share a picture you’ve taken OR a picture you found online that speaks to you)  Photo used with permission via stock exchange licence:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

http://www.everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=9838

Here are the directions for these posts:

Once a week on Monday you will respond to the above prompts.. more is better. Post your response on your blog or website.

Mention my blog (service savoir faire) and offer a link back to the main page of the blog. This way others can participate in the project as well!   www.servicesavoirfaire.blogspot.com

Also, feel free to look around this service site as it has many pieces of great information/resources.

So now that you know how, please feel free to join me.