i was thinking about this post whilst i was out in the garden picking strawberries before (oooh, i paint quite the romantic picture don’t i? LOL). Actually, i was originally pruning the roses and naturally thought about what you’d said..with which i whole heartedly agree (and it is a most interesting analogy). i then however started picking the strawberries i have grown and laughed to myself when i considered just HOW they came to be. i brought those two plants, slightly out of season, cheap for 50 pence each…got home and it was raining, so planted them very quickly (and probably pretty carelessly) after which they have had very little maintenance. Two growing seasons later…they have spreads their little runners everywhere, grown new plants, have become very strong and have provided an amazing yield of lovely bright red, sweet strawberries. i got to thinking that i think in terms of sex, BDSM emotionally, spiritually, physically people need time to feel out stuff around them..be who they want to be and will likely develop properly.

Having said all that, they will of course eventually need pruning, controlling and maintaining properly (mmmmm!)..which brings us back to your point and which, in terms of Ds, should, i agree, properly be considered the second stage in the process.

*stops rambling* (no gardening pun intended )

sl