Hello, my love. I want to talk to you about your collar. You may not be wearing one around your neck right now, but that’s not what I meant. I mean, you could be wearing one, but that’s not the point. Because even if you’re not wearing one, you are. Let me explain what I mean by your collar.

You have so many different sides to yourself, so many different personas. Let’s explore them for a few minutes.

I want you to use your imagination. Think of yourself in a social situation, a place with lots of people. Maybe you’re surrounded by friends, maybe they’re total strangers. You’re in a public place, a coffee shop, a restaurant, a store. There is motion, things, people, sound. I need you to picture it, to act it out, to be that person right now. Make it as real as you can. What do you see? What do you smell? What do you feel? Think about how you would act, how you behave in that moment. I want you to adopt the stance you would have in that situation. Standing or sitting, it doesn’t matter.

Now, let’s analyze this. What’s your posture like? Are you relaxed? Comfortable? Rigid? Attentive? Alert? Where are your hands? At your sides? On your knees? In your lap? On the table? How far apart are your feet? Are they flat on the floor, or crossed? Are your legs tucked in, or extended? What expression do you have? Are you smiling? Laughing? Serious? Or maybe no expression at all? What are you wearing? Are you clothes comfortable? Or did you put on something to catch someone’s eye? To impress your friends, or a specific person?

Now I want you to add something to that image of yourself: a collar. It doesn’t have to be a collar, just something around your neck, be it a necklace, a choker, some kind of neck adornment that fits the rest of the image. Let’s focus on that item. What’s it made of? Pick a material: fabric, lace, leather, gold, silver, metal, stone, wood, anything. What color is it? Is it light? Heavy? Loose? Tight? Is it plain or fancy? Is it a simple band, or a chain? Are there adornments, jewels, filigree? Picture it, picture wearing that item.

That is your collar. That’s the item I want you to associate with this image, with how you would feel if you were there. You’re wearing that collar in that situation to represent that part of you.

Now in a real-world scenario like this, chances are you wouldn’t be wearing a literal collar. But I bet there is something you would wear that’s unique to this type of social interaction, isn’t there? It could be anything. Whatever that item is, it’s a representation of the persona you have when you’re around other people in a public setting. It’s a symbol of the public face you’re presenting, all of your social expectations for yourself. It’s not you, not really. It’s something you put on to change who you really are into who you want to be, how you want to define yourself, in that setting, how you want other people to see and define you.

But since we’re talking about collars here, picture it as a collar. For this setting, an easygoing public scenario, this would be your “public casual collar”. Can you clearly picture it now? Good. You’re doing very well.

You have others. Other collars, other sides to your personality, other personas, other symbols by which you define yourself. Let’s describe and explore a few more of them.

Think of yourself in a business setting. You’re sitting in an office, with co-workers walking past in a carpeted hallway. How would you behave differently in this scenario from how you are when you are relaxed, at home? How would you carry yourself, your posture? What would you be wearing differently in this professional setting? Picture yourself as clearly as you can, as detailed as possible, your pose, your stance, your expression, your outfit. And somewhere in those details is another item, some accessory that best describes that part of you, isn’t there?

Focus on that item. Change it into a collar. Choose the adornment for your neck that best symbolizes that part of you, that image. What collar would fit you best in that moment? Think of its material, its color, its pattern. Feel it around your neck, its weight, what it represents. That’s your “business collar”.

Let’s try another place: a library. You’re studying at a carrel. The soft sounds of books, people moving quietly between shelves, whispers. The smell and feel of paper between your fingers. People typing on computers or laptops faintly reaching your ears. How do you behave there? How would you act? How would you dress? What collar would you be wearing? That’s your “study collar”.

Another scenario: a fancy occasion, maybe a banquet, or high society party, a ball. A little different, isn’t it? Men in tuxedos, women in designer gowns with expensive jewelry. You’re there among them. Would you be comfortable, laughing and talking with them? Would you be the wallflower, hanging back, avoiding conversation? How would you be standing? Behaving? What would you wear? What collar would fit you in that scene? Your “fancy collar”.

Try this one: you’re outside in the wilderness, surrounded by a field of flowers, looking up at the tall mountains around you, seeing the snow on the peaks, feeling the wind. The sun is rising behind the hills, bathing the world in gold and green. Smell the wind, the perfume of all the flowers in the clean air. Are you sitting, standing, or hiking spritely down the trail? You’re ready for an adventure. What kind of equipment do you have? A full backpack, a small bag, a satchel, or maybe nothing, just out for a walk? What kind of clothes do you have on? What kind of collar are you wearing?

Another: you, at home. Sitting on the couch, with the TV on, watching your favorite show, a cup of soup in your hand, blanket wrapped around you. You’re at your most comfortable, all your stresses gone, relaxed. What’s your posture? What’s your facial expression? What clothes do you have on? Which collar are you wearing? What fits you best?

One last scenario for now: picture yourself in the bedroom, with your lover. Yes, even here you’d have a collar on. Again, not necessarily a literal one; it’s the persona you're presenting. Now, when you think of a collar for the bedroom, you might be tempted to think of something like heavy black or red leather, with a large metal ring, and a matching pair of fur-lined handcuffs. For some scenarios that might be appropriate, but remember the collar isn’t necessarily real. Don’t think of the collar as a literal, physical item; it represents your behavior, the emotions, the sensations you want to feel. Of all the different sexual experiences you’ve had, or want to have, what’s the one that really turns you on the most? Gentle? Tender? Loving? Hard? Rough? Slow? Fast? Strong and masterful, or completely depraved and out of control? Which version of you appeals to you the most? What collar best represents that side of yourself? That’s your “bedroom collar”.

You’re a complicated, wonderful person, aren’t you? There are so many sides to you, so many collars. I’m sure there are more collars in your life, maybe many more. Perhaps someday we can explore them together, discover all the different facets of your personality. That’s what each collar is: a representation of your expectations for yourself in that specific social setting.

Now here’s where it gets interesting: of all those different forms, types, colors, weights, materials, there is one collar that defines you best. Which one is it? Which collar is the one that truly represents you, the core of your being? The one you’re most comfortable wearing, the one you want to wear? Picture it, admire it. Touch your neck, feel it surrounding you, comfortable and safe. You love your collar, don’t you? It’s addictive, seductive, safe.

Because that’s the one you have to remove.

It doesn’t matter which collar it is, it’s holding you back, holding you down. Because the truth is that last collar doesn’t represent you at all. Despite all the different facets of your personality, despite all the forms of you that exist, all the collars you might wear, it’s still a weight around your neck: a restraint. It’s something you’ve crafted, that you’ve put there to show to other people, to distract them from seeing the real you, to hide your true self. It’s a prison, a cage, to hide and suppress your true power.

So here we are together, just you and me. And I want nothing more than to make love to you, to be yours, and to make you mine. But you’ve still got your collar on, and I don’t want you to pretend with me, to put on a show for me. I don’t want to make love to an actress, some carefully crafted persona; I want you, the real you. Unbound, unfettered, unchained. I want you to let that feral beast loose, let it out, set it free. To do that, you have to take that collar off. And to do that, you have to acknowledge what it really is.

So repeat after me:

The collar is a lie: I wear it to hide my true nature.

The collar is a restraint: I wear it to keep myself under control.

The collar is protection: I wear it to shield others from my power.

The collar is obedience: I wear it to bind myself to others’ expectations.

The collar is ownership: I wear it to show I belong.

The collar is submission: I wear it to bow to another’s’ will.

The collar is imagination: when I remove it, I will make my dreams come true.

The collar is containment: when I remove it, my deepest desires will be released.

The collar is my leash: when I remove it, I will share myself with you.

The collar is a promise: when I remove it, I will never hurt you.

The collar is pleasure: when I remove it, all my senses will be free.

The collar is sex: when I remove it, my inhibitions will vanish.

The collar is my edge: when I remove it, I will not stop until I reach climax.

The collar is my act: I will let it fall away, and show you who I truly am.

It’s time, my love. Remove your collar.