Changing times // it's been 5 years

This is not a sexual post, and has nothing to do with me changing in public. It's just a reflection on this journey so far.

This year marks the 5th year I've got this blog up and running. Now, as usual, I'm naked in my room, a vibrator casually going off, and I can't help but look back at this virtual journey.

I started this blog when I first entered university. At that time, I have already been reading Singapore erotica for quite some time. It started as simply a means to share my experiences and fantasies, like many others out there did - the more prominent ones at that time being Staplerman and LindaMichelle. What I did not expect was to be considered and directly compared with them - I am flattered; as much as I'm not shy in the bedroom, I don't take such fame very well.

And now, I've graduated.

With both my uni batch, and the community.

Things change. Across the years, many have come and go. Many bloggers with whom I was familiar back in 2012 have faded into the distance. New bloggers have popped up and I'm not saying their writing is bad; it just feels different in an era where I've become somewhat more 'senior' in this (virtual) scene. There is a renewal even at SBF - the stories from which I draw inspiration are now authored by different bloggers and forumers.

Some things, however, cannot change. Intangibly, this whole community has given me a place to confide in, particularly the things I've done. It has also taught me how to handle toxic people who relentlessly ask for sex and meetups. Tangibly, I do tell some employers that I created a blog that has generated over 3 million views in 4 years.

Our readers are central to our virtual lives. I've always believed writing for an audience, and in writing erotica in Singapore, our audience is a rather specific one - with lots of shared experiences. This brings us together, somehow. But trends more often that not consume us. More and more of us are starting to use ask.fm, me included. More readers are flocking between the Tumblr blogs for pictures and the traditional ones for good old erotica, and some bloggers have adapted.

Of course, this is inevitable in this digital age. I use Snapchat and all that in my personal life, too. But it's somewhat nostalgic to look back at the past half-decade and see how things have changed. We've all changed. I've changed, too.

I think I'll stick here though. It reminds me of the times when I first started writing, and why I'm doing all of this.

A time which I miss - when I was innocent, idealistic, and with lots of room to learn every day.

Here's a blast to the past, cheers to the future, and health to everyone. :)

Love,
Charmaine

P.S. I'm not stopping with writing! Just thought this is a good time to look back.