:: Edgeliving: Master Jim and slave marsha ::

:: Sunday, January 18, 2004 ::

Perfection: A Conundrum of Mastery and slavery

Perfection is not attainable; but by pursuing it, it may be attained.

I once was told by someone that they offered perfect and flawless service. Putting aside the reality that one in service cannot judge the quality of the service provided, let’s examine the idea of perfect service.

I accept that it might be possible to perform a task without flaw or defect: in other words, to perfection. For example, coffee might be served exactly as the Master requires. Correct temperature, perfect blend, absolute freshness and so on. It might even be possible to perform several tasks to perfection; however, the more tasks one adds, the greater the chance of an error. Even the smallest – a drop of coffee being spilled – denies perfection.

In my view, it is not possible to provide perfect service day in and day out. There are far too many factors, many outside of the slave’s control, that intervene. For those in service to me, perfection, except in small isolated tasks, is not possible.

What is possible is the performance of service with the right heart and spirit. Owners and Masters must accept the fact that mistakes will be made; but if the service is provided with the right heart and spirit, then what we have are honest mistakes that can be corrected. Correcting errors in service also provides the opportunity to monitor and assess the internal feelings and emotional state of the slave. Is his heart right? Is her spirit true? It is this internal work of slavery, and, in fact, Mastery as well, that is most the most critical and essential part of what I do.

After owning a slave for several years, I came to realize that perfect service itself was a distant second to having someone in service. This led to the realization that providing service and correcting service were in themselves tools to be used in the internal work of both Master and slave.

Being unable to attain perfection in service should not be a source of frustration for the slave, but rather a realization that the path of Mastery and slavery is a lifelong journey. Rather than despairing over the mistakes made, the slave (and the Master) can rejoice that it all is a part of seeking perfection in the internal work of Mastery and slavery. It is only by accepting the fact that we will always make mistakes, while continuing to strive to be the best Master or slave we can be, that we may actually attain the unattainable.

In leather,
Master Jim

:: 9:33 PM [+] ::
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