Monday, January 25, 2016

Eighth Blogiversary

Today is the eighth blogiversary of Rohrstock-Palast. Two years ago, I celebrated what is arguably the pefect number of years for a spanking blog: "six of the best". Last year, it was six of the best plus one. But I've run out of clever numerical interpretations now. I suppose it will just have to be number eight this year, plain and simple.

On second thoughts, the saying "eight is enough" comes to mind. I do expect this to be my final blogiversary. Then again, I said the same thing last year, and that obviously did not turn out as planned. As I wrote in my new year's post a few weeks ago, the blog will be going on a while longer, until we have edited and published all the videos we still have in store and wrapped up a couple of other things. It's difficult to find time for blogging and editing while Kaelah and I still have much work to do from the house move and various other things, but we will be slowly and steadily moving forward. In the meantime, you can all enjoy our ramblings a bit longer.

However, on this particular day, I find myself looking backward rather than forward. It's surreal to think that I started this blog fully eight years ago, on 25th January 2008. It almost seems like a different life. Certainly a very different phase of the same life. There were some big changes going on for me in 2008. One of them was starting this blog and embarking on this kind of strange, semi-public life in the online BDSM community. But that wasn't even the biggest change back then. There were others as well. And at the end of that year, I first "met" Kaelah when she delurked here on this blog. We first met face-to-face in the beginning of 2009, and the rest is history. Now I feel as if we have known each other forever. The more time passes, the more difficult I find it to think back to a time when we weren't together and to truly remember what life felt like then.

What I am trying to say, I guess, is that Rohrstock-Palast has become a boring couples blog after all, despite my strenuous attempts to avoid just that! And now that it has, I am very happy with it.

Most of the kinky people whom I was friends with in 2008, and who commented here on my earliest posts, are no longer around. They left the scene years ago. Some I am still in contact with, sporadically. Others have disappeared completely and I have no idea what they are doing today. It makes me sad sometimes. Rest assured, I am grateful for all the readers we have today, all the people who discovered this blog maybe three years ago, or one year ago, or just very recently. And whenever someone writes a comment, that is a nice thing, regardless of how long they have been around. I am grateful for all of you. But I do miss the old "gang" sometimes, the people who inspired me to start blogging in the first place. Niki Flynn, Indy, Adele Haze, Prefectdt... I do miss them. Perhaps that's what growing old feels like. People around you disappear one after the other, until eventually, you are the last one standing. In blogging, it only takes eight years rather than eighty.

So, I find that the eighth blogiversary is a happy date to celebrate, but mixed with quite a bit of melancholy. One eye laughing, the other weeping, that sort of thing. And before I spout off any more tiresome clichés, I had better wrap things up. Thank you for reading, as always. And stay tuned for what is still to come.

7 comments:

Simon said...

Congratulations on reaching 8 years, I've been reading this blog since the beginning and I think I de-lurked about 6 years ago. I have a theory that blog years are a bit like dog years which would make your blog 56 years old. As you say over time friends disappear but if you are lucky you make new ones whilst missing the old ones.

Gustofur said...

Thank you for your blog. It is fascinating reading and one of the best blogs on the internet. I feel I know you and Kaelah a little bit after eight years and look forward to reading more. And seeing the videos you are working on.

Spearthrower said...

Like Simon, I have been reading the blog each week since its inception. The trajectory of your relationship with Kaelah and with spanking you have set out in the blog has been fascinating. Over time we make friends and lose touch with them -- it can be sad but it is life. But that may not be the end. Over the last couple of years, I have reconnected with friends from 40 years ago, which is just great.

I'm looking forward to the remainder of your posts and videos over the rest of the year. Maybe you will make the ninth anniversary!

Rich Person said...

Congratulations on making it to 8 years. It's such a nice, round number (in binary). But maybe you could hold out to make it a round number in decimal. That would give us a couple more years to admire your fine work!

Kaelah said...

It's indeed fascinating to see how life has changed over the past years. Eight years ago, I didn't know that those fantasies I was interested in were about a thing called erotic spanking. Neither did I know anything about the kinky community, nor did I have any idea that you even existed. Half a year later I stumbled upon the online spanking community and found your blog. Not much later I contacted you. On your first blogiversary we had already met in person and shortly afterwards, we played for the very first time. On your second blogiversary we were a couple and I was already writing my own column here on this blog. Now we have been writing this blog together for so many years and also sharing our lives (which involves much more than “just” spanking). It's funny to think that it all began with your decision to start a kinky blog. And it's a strange thought that we would never have met, had you decided not to do that... I cannot say how glad I am that you started this blog eight years ago!

Peter8862 said...

As usual, I bring up the rear in the comments you inspire, simply because I never know the date you publish. This month's blogs, however, are some of the very best, being the culmination of eight full years of introspective thought. I do congratulate you both most heartily. Yes of course, friends come and friends go and this is never more true than at my great age. Too often they go for the wrong reason. But today has come news of a potential cure for cancer, which is wonderful news in this world of needless tragedy. And as I think I said in a past E-mail, I have proved that at 94 one can still wield a wicked cane !

Kaelah said...

@ Peter8862:
I'm very happy that you still enjoy our blog and that you are the living proof that one can still wield a wicked cane at the age of 94! I hope that Ludwig and I will be able to do that as well and I hope that we all won't have to lose any loved family members or friends to cancer anymore.