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This essay and all site contents Copyright L. Goodwin 1990 -2001
Deciding what to take to Leather Leadership Conference 3 wasn't difficult. It's not a glamourpuss affair. Mostly, BDSM club leaders and leatherfolk activists bore each other in seminars all weekend. Jeans, leather and/or club vest, t-shirt, good leather boots or shoes does it. I figured there might be at least one play party I would feel obliged to attend, so I brought my favorite patent leather corset, and all that goes with it, just in case.
As it turns out my fancy corset stayed in the drawer. By the time Saturday night rolled around I was so tired of sitting either on the jet or the hotel conference room chairs that I thought I had to go dancing or die. I asked around and finally a very nice, SF savvy leatherman named Steve gave me passes to Club Universe, a fabulous dance club. I grabbed a handsome het leatherman of my acquaintance for an escort, and off we went.
When I dance I don't fool around. I get sweaty, and (if I can) I allow my modesty to be thoroughly compromised. The corset was out...too stiff and ladylike. I wore a sheer black tulle t-shirt and over that my leather shirt, with jeans. I had a fabulous time, and late that evening left the bar for another with a handsome German man who was also in black leather (since I had worn my escort out and he had gone home early). Hans and I went to another local hotspot and danced some more. *I* danced anyway, with the pretty SF children bobbing and weaving all around me, while Hans looked on admiringly.
When it came time to taxi back to the hotel, three sweet young men joined me in my limo. When the driver let me out at my hotel, one of my young admirers said to me, "You are flawless!", which is one of the nicest complements I can imagine. That really made my night! :)
On Sunday I was tired but very happy. I sailed through the rest of the conference's activities and went to bed early, after asking the hotel for a 6:30 wake up call.
Monday I was in a big rush. I threw my things into my suitcase and hastened to catch the airport shuttle without taking time for breakfast or even coffee. I was sitting in the shuttle, on my way to the airport in morning rush hour traffic with seconds to spare and every seat in the van filled with anxious fellow travelers, when I suddenly realized my corset WAS STILL IN THE DRAWER back at the hotel.
OHHHHHHHHHhhhhh! :( This was no ordinary corset either...my husband paid top dollar to buy it for me as a gift of erotic admiration. It was practically a symbol of our love.
I was helpless to do anything about it at the time. Someone on the shuttle suggested we go back but I said no at once. I couldn't do that to those other people, who were all also pressed for time. I had to run to catch my plane as it was.
On the jet I had the fabulous good luck to be seated next to one of my fellow LLCers, a lovely, amazing man named Thom who is President of the NYC Defenders (a *Catholic* leatherfolk club). We enjoyed a wonderful conversation about faith and activism, which reminded me to have faith that the Goddess would keep my precious corset safe for me.
I kept thinking, "I'll call the hotel. It's in the lost and found. I'll call Steve K. (*Mahatma* Steve, IRONMAN volunteer of Janus, my roomie). He may have scoured the room and found it before he left."
When I got to NYC I still had a three-hour bus trip back to Hartford CT ahead of me. I tried calling home at the airport, but everyone was out and the answering machine would not accept collect calls. More suspense!
After nearly twelve hours of travel I finally arrived at Hartford depot. I called my hubby who arrived minutes later with my daughter in tow, and they brought me home. I didn't even stop to pee: I immediately called both Steve K. and the hotel. Steve was out: I got the answering machine. Hotel housekeeping was closed for the day. Still more suspense!
I want to give my wonderful husband credit. He was amazingly good about this news. He immediately denied the possibility of loss, and didn't blame or shame me at all.
Long story short. First the hotel called me back to say they found nothing in the room, then my friend Steve called to say he found it before he vacated the room, and would send it to me ASAP. What a relief!
I brooded quite a bit about how my life would have been blighted without that item. The sages say don't get too attached to material things, but sometimes that's hard to do!
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This essay and all site contents Copyright L. Goodwin 1990 -2001