Recap: Spanko Brunch 2.0 for January 27

What made you decide to share your experiences on spanking blogs?

Fred Bloggs: For most of my life I thought I was unique in being a bit, OK a lot, kinky. It wasn't until the internet arrived and I could search for kink did I realise that far from being alone there are millions of us. So it just seemed the obvious thing to do and join in with the conversation. Many thanks to all the people who go online with their blogs and forums and who make all this possible.

Bernie: The beets go on, the beets go on. Ya da da de de, ya de da de da,

Sorry, couldn't help it. So, beet me. Something to follow later, I hope.

(This was in reference to the picture of a bunch of beets on yesterday's post.)

NoraJean: I was facinated when I found ttwd Blogland last year ... and was amazed at all the online conversations happening across the many types of kink ... after years of Frank and I going about our ttwd life in isolation, discovering this world meant I/we could join in the conversations and get to know others here in Blogland, safely and anonymously.

Bonnie: I was reading spanko blogs and thought that I might be able to add something to the conversation.

Shell: I've only been blogging about a month and just "came out of hiding" a few months ago when I worked up the courage to leave a comment on Meredith's blog (New twist after all these years). When she first suggested that I blog I about choked -- I spent 6 years thinking I was a freak. I wouldn't even consider sharing. I just wanted to read and learn from other women like me, but from the safety of my anonymous self.

But over the course of about 2 months Meredith convinced me that the best way to truly meet ttwd friends was to be willing to share my own journey as well. I'm a month in and loving it. I've met some amazing women who have just allowed me to be me. Even Matt has noticed a new confidence since I began blogging. There is something to be said for these new found friendships. I owe that to Meredith.

Sir Wendel: It was actually the Complete the Captions that got me started.

Boo: I am like Shell. It was Meredith who got me to comment on one of her posts that had nothing to do with TTWD. We started talking and she convinced me to talk to my husband. That was this past summer and we are slowly making our way in TTWD/DD.

Roz: I discovered ttwd blogs and was amazed at the comments, replies and conversations and how supportive and encouraging everyone was both on and behind the blogs. It became clear that wonderful friendships were made through blogland. I decided I wanted to join the conversation.

Yorkie: I finally found like-minded people who shared my kink and I didn't feel alone any more.

Baxter: The anonymity of blogs is what I needed to respond with experiences and comments. Getting into the spanking blog world started with spanking groups on Yahoo and then probably saw links to spanking things on blogspot. It opened up a whole big world to me that others were as turned on by spanking as I was and finally felt I wasn't strange or that I thought about it a lot.

Barrel: While I have lurked on several websites and blogs for years, as the most welcoming and educational I have found, I only participate here. I love the brunches as a forum to share where we are in developing our lifestyle. The safety and warmth here helps us in peeking out, just a little further, every month. Thanks to your readers for sharing their lifestyle and you for your commitment to lead all of us.

Hermione: I had been reading Bonnie's blog for a while, and sent her an email asking her several questions. She kindly answered, then asked me if I would care to share my experiences in a guest post on her blog. I did, and you can read it here.

Katie: Hi Hermione, I started to blog so that I could give back. I landed in Blogland, and what I read here made a huge difference in my life. That was because people shared, and had conversations right there on their blogs, about spanking, relationships, marriage, being loving, etc. Their words made a difference. I wanted mine to do that in some small way for others. I hope that somehow it has. Great topic!

Terpsichore: First researching to discover that I am not alone, then reaching out to get to know others with similar yet different ideas, then making friends and those friends becoming a community and family, and finally giving back by sharing my own experiencing and welcoming others to share their own truths.

Thank you all for sharing your insights.  I look forward to seeing you all again next week. Bring a friend!