softness
Posts: 2918
Joined: 8/1/2006 From: Leeds, UK Status: offline
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It depends upon the definition vs usage in context of such words Take "sick" for instance. If I described a piece of kids work as "sick" to them in my classroom - they would know I meant it was awesome, really unusual, interesting, skillful, and something to be proud of. That is their colloquial usage of the word sick - and I use it because it is speaking their language their way, and they like it. If I called in "sick" to work, Debbie the nice lady in the office, knows that I mean I am unwell. If after hearing missturbations plans for the weekend, I describe them as "sick" she will know I mean that her plans are - interesting, unusual, exciting, a little edgy, potential offensive to some but highly amusing to me. Those usages of the word may not be correct in terms of what the dictionary says, but that is the brilliant thing about the English language (perhaps more so that any other langugae on earth). The meanings of words evolve with such rapidity that not just within a generation, but within a few years, a word can be totally "perverted" (have its direction changed - original meaning) or even reclaimed (think about the work The Vagina Monologues is doing to reclaim "Cunt" for women of the globe). Certain offenseivce terms used by "The Norm" towards a sub-culture or minority group are often adopted, reclaimed and used with pride by those within. Prime example - Gay, Dyke, I cannot imagine anyone being upset or insulted within the BDSM circles I move in if they were described as "sick" or "twisted" or any of the other words you were unhappy at the usage of. The usage of them from *within* our community is different from *outside* that community. I use words like sick, twisted, wrong and perverted to describe myself and my actions. Those are the labels put on me by society. I take being called Slut, or Tart as a compliment. Someone called me Trash yesterday, and I blushed and thanked them. Those words are labels put on me and my desires in an attempt to make them negative, and I do not see them as such. Normal - the most common. The accepted. If you lined 10 BDSMers up at a munch you wouldn't even be able to establish a "norm" with them, or with a hundred, you wouldn't be able to find an "accepted" model. You might find common themes(consent, power exchange, negotiation etc) but no normality. I dont think its realistic to believe that BDSM will ever me though of as normal, but we might get to a place where it was no longer seen as dangerous and a blight on society. That would be really nice
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proudly wearing the blue collar of consideration to DK Leather, Leatherdykeuk, and LeatherEagle of the UK KRueL Leather Family veritas, respectus honorque in corio
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