Stranger Than Fiction: The World Will Still Keep Turning

There’s nothing quite so intriguing as a story that is either real or seems so realistic that you can relate to it – either as a whole or perhaps just relating to a character in that story.

I’ve written entire books that were storylined from real events in my life and quite a few more that were based loosely on real events in my life.  The rest of what I’ve written is fantasy … or fantasies that I have.

But what I write to you in this posting is a true story.  It is not based on anything.  It is an actual account of something that happened to me recently.  And Stranger Than Fiction , though catchy in sound, really doesn’t even adequately describe it.

I’ve had a small handful of different jobs in my lifetime, from acting to serving to factory boredom and more. And I must say that my favorite job has been to be an author (but also, once working for the company that makes my beloved iced tea was pretty tasty, too.) Yet, in all the jobs I’ve held, I’ve never once had an experience where one job sort of “met” the other in a rather happenstance manner.

That had always been the case for me at least … until yesterday.

Tell ya what … let me get back to that in just a minute.

First … We’ve all seen the TV talk shows schedule ABDL and age play as their topics for particular episodes. But most of those airings casted ABDL in a very poor light. Mako Allen once said on a Big Little Podcast: “Some friends of mine from an IRC chat room went on another beloved Chicago tradition, Jerry Springer. And Jerry Springer recorded (the show) one way and edited it a different way and made them look broken. And that just pissed me off.” (Episode 77 – Age Play Leadership).

But some of the TV talk shows were really good ones, giving the concept of age play a chance to be explained by the guests. I remember the first one I saw was on The Montel Williams Show. It had three or four couples as guests and aside from the laughter through certain questions asked, the guests did a really good job of explaining it.

Riley Kilo has been on several shows and has done a wonderful job. And there have been others, too.

But I’m not really writing this to discuss or critique how age play has been displayed and explained in media. I will say, however, that it’s been interesting to watch the subject go back-n-forth between being a shock-worthy topic and being one that incited intelligent discussion – each with varying degrees of success.

I guess when you get beyond thinking ABDL is just simply bizarre and nothing more, the next logical thought is probably: “Well … what is it actually all about?” This seems to be a usual progression in understanding, if not accepting, something new that is out of the ordinary … First, you gawk at it. Then, you laugh at it. Then, you investigate it. Then, you form your opinion about it.

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Yesterday at work, as I was standing outside with a few co-workers while testing the air quality (in other words: smoking), a most interesting topic of discussion emerged out of thin air. And, having been in theater for 15 years, I quickly did a little acting to mask my surprise.

Fetish became the talking-point. And with a surprising quickness, one co-worker said: “To each their own, but I draw the line with the people wearing diapers thing.”

Before I had too many seconds to give an Emmy-winning performance, a second co-worker said: “I get the whole idea of role playing, but I just can’t understand people wanting to be babies.”

Though it shouldn’t have, that particular comment really caught me off guard – especially since that second co-worker possessed the personality I gave to the BabyGirl in a ABDL book I wrote entitled: Crimson.

But wait! We’re not done yet! It gets better.

A third co-worker then went on to talk about how weird it was that people liked wearing diapers. Then the discussion shifted to the possibility that there were people in Lancaster County who might have fetishes.

I was doing all I could to keep from grinning – especially since there’s a local ABDL munch that meets twice a month.

Up to that point, I was doing a good job of keeping my mouth shut, but by then, I couldn’t keep quiet anymore. No, I wasn’t going to plant a flag of the ABDL pride symbol and take up arms to battle. Instead, I chose a different approach.

“Yeah, it’s seems wild that there could be fetishists in our midst,” I said to those co-workers. “What’s even wilder is that you could be standing right next to one and you wouldn’t even know it.”

I really wanted to tell my nicotine-craving co-workers that there was actually a smoking fetish, an oral fixation fetish and gossiping may as well be called a fetish too – all of which would’ve applied to the three of them. But there was no reason to make waves. In doing so, I would possibly have had to come out from undercover, anyway. And besides, they hadn’t done or said anything wrong. They had given their opinions – which was something they were entitled to do.

Quite honestly, they gave their opinions and left it at that – as opposed to a lot of people who give their opinions so strongly and with such passion that they make their opinions sound like facts.

Returning to work, I thought back on the discussion of that smoke break and, in a real old dog, new trick fashion, I marveled over how I’ve never really been in a situation where I couldn’t be open about all things. But I’ve listened to a lot of ABDLers speak of not being able to “be themselves” and I’ve read countless postings about how this frustrates them.

While I wasn’t spooked by the results of the talk, I was taken back by how coincidence can sometimes present unlikely situations. But I began to view that frustration in a new light. While it still didn’t really apply to me directly, for the first time, I could truly imagine what it must be like to not be able to “be myself” without fear of ridicule or judgment.

No, I won’t likely be showing anyone at work what the contents are in the trunk of my car. But it took me back to classes I’ve sat in at events like CAPCon and TeddyCon – where the topics included acceptance, loving yourself, shame and a lot of other heavy subjects.

I then thought back to Mako’s quote from that podcast – about how The Jerry Springer Effect had haphazardly cast a dim light on the ABDL world. I particularly remember his call to action: “… I said I’m not gonna let that happen anymore, if I can. And I just decided to put myself out there. For me, it’s not about me. Whether people like me or not, I don’t give a darn. It’s about the work. I gotta do the work because it’s needed.”

Mako’s right. And the truth is: It really isn’t anyone’s job to stick up for the little guy. And that’s what makes it so important to actually do. When you choose to do something of your own free will and volition, because it needs to be done, that is the moment when you acquire merit far greater than yourself or any individual in this world.

Getting society to accept ABDL is a losing battle and ultimately, it’s pointless – even if you actually achieve that goal. The point isn’t to change anyone’s opinion about it. It’s to keep those who we love and care for feeling good about themselves.

In other words: Don’t ever give up. But choose the battles that matter most, the ones that will make the little guy (and the little girl) feel good about who they are.

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Later that very same day when ABDL was brought up at work, I received a text message from an ABDL friend who had boldly opened up about her diaper fetish to her partner. She had a lot of trepidation about doing this, but when she did it, her partner was very welcoming of it – seeing it as no deterrent to their relationship.

When that friend texted me the good news, the text was simple and sweet – yet spoke volumes about the albatross that had just been lifted from around her neck: “Wow … Freedom.”

I think she summarized it quite well. Don’t try to get other people to accept it. Just accept it yourself and accept it about yourself. Then – God, Allah, The Winds Willing, Etc., everything else will likely fall into place as it should.

And if it doesn’t, hey … tomorrow morning – the sun will struggle up and the world will still keep turning.

Blessings,
Zorro Daddy

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Wanna hear another Stranger Than Fiction true story?

Continue on to: 

Fly on the Wall … or Statue in the Aisle
Small World