Please

It’s a funny word.

Sometimes, it means, “Do this, but don’t accuse me of impoliteness.”

Sometimes it means, “I know I can tell you to do this, but I respect you, and so I’m delivering my order to you politely.”

Sometimes, it means, “I hope you’ll do as I ask, and I expect you to, but I wouldn’t want to be presumptuous.”

Sometimes, it means, “I really really really hope you’ll do as I ask, but I feel powerless to affect your behavior, so I’m begging you in hopes that will persuade you.”

I use it assiduously. The way I use it most often is somewhere between 2 and 3 above: I genuinely mean it – I don’t presume that anyone must do as I say, ever, whether that person is a submissive woman bound to my pleasure or a subordinate in the world of work.

Please don’t mistake it for imploring. I really try to stay away from that shit.