By Jay Morgan
One of the many reasons I like to play golf is that it is entirely up to me, and only me, to play well. No matter whether you are a professional, amateur, or weekend hacker, every golf course gives each player the same chances to score well. Similar to bowling, billards, or bondage, we are given the same tools to use, its the result that is different. Personality, experience, motivation, and time spent pursuing your hobby of choice play a huge part in the success, or failure, to achieve your goals.
The appeal of rope bondage is similar. I have the potential to create what some might call beautiful, or something entirely functional. Just as similar as anyone who plays with rope, the differences in the outcome is what inspires us to keep tying.
The differences in us makes the human species capable of a tremendous amount of compassion, and an incredible amount of callousness. The unique qualities of every individual gives us all the potential to do something great, destructive, or just plain irrational.
In a room with people of many diverse backgrounds, some individuals that you would not give the time of day will draw you into a deep technical discussion of some esoteric tie. In as much as any creative environment artists learn as much from other artists as they would from a teacher.
Its precisely this type of diversity that I am attracted to. The fact that I have a choice to participate as much as I desire leaves me free to explore something on my own. The common knot shared provides an outlet for discovery if I find myself confused or desiring to interact with others to learn.
The investment we put into learning rope, or any other activity, is proportional to the return. As much as a professional bondage type probably could not hit a golf ball to a three foot target from 150 yds away, I cannot easily perform a suspended hog tie. Its not ability, but time invested to become better. Simply put, to me, its the reason why Justin Beiber may be a good singer, but I doubt he knows the first thing about changing a tire.
We are free to pursue our own definition of happiness, without coercion or harm to others; This is the essence of a free market, and all consensual behavior between adults, for that matter.
The free unregulated world of bondage, rope or otherwise; has created and inspired innovation, technique, and a wider availability of materials. For some its a hobby, something to be enjoyed in the confines of a home between two people. Or its something that becomes a pursuit of excellence, striving to learn more, creating opportunity for themselves.
A relationship that involves rope is in the end, no different than any other hobby between two persons. Freely being able to explore, accept failures, and keep trying will help to find that little slice of happiness and contentment that we all pursue.