One of the ways to provide service to a Dominant is by being a good companion. By companion I mean accompanying a Dominant to events, both D/s and vanilla. Whether it is to the movies, out to dinner, or to the theatre, the main objective is to provide good company - basically as the name indicates.
Part of being a good companion is being a good conversationalist. The only way to really achieve this is by knowing about events - past and current. Reading the news of the day - not just nationally or locally, but also internationally, being aware of the current news on Twitter and other trending media. Another part of being a good conversationalist is being versed on a variety of topics - art, music, fashion, philosophy, culture, history, politics. You may never need to quote Socrates, but it’s good to be versed and be able to recognise such - and hey, you never really know what the Dominant you are attending will dig.
Another part of being a good companion is being good company at an event. It starts from arranging transportation - driving, or Uber (this includes finding parking if driving), opening doors (be sure to have an umbrella ready if it is raining), checking coats if available, fetching refreshments, finding seats. Now, it may be that the Dominant you are attending wants to go to something that you would never be caught dead at, and to that I say go - just freaking go. I would never advocate anyone doing anything they don’t want to do, but unless going to a musical will cause you to bleed from the ears, it’s just a few hours out of your life, just do it. No one is expecting you to dance in the aisles waving jazz hands about, or screaming every time the home team scores a touchdown, it’s not about the event, it’s about doing a good job and being a good companion. Oh, and if you’re going to look like you’re being tortured the entire time you’re there, just don’t bother going - let some other submissive take your place because being a good companion is also about ensuring the Dominant you are attending is having a good time. Being a wet cloud that rains on a Dominant’s parade is about as far from being a good companion as you can get.
There are a number of folks who don’t want to go to events without someone, and it is a generous form of service to give this gift to another. To be the bridge that enables them to go out and enjoy that which they enjoy, I can’t think of a higher form of love, dedication, or affection. As well, if you are frequently around a Dominant at different events, you can provide said Dominant with reminders about others - such as names, important dates to remember like birthdays, whether or not someone is still in a dynamic. Being a doyen or doyenne is sometimes part of the role of being a good companion.
Other beneficial skills or talents could include:
- Wine/whiskey/gin appreciation
- Being a gourmand or having an appreciation for culinary delights
- Being keyed in to events around town
- Having excellent organisation/time management/research skills
- Knowledge of excellent dining options, based on taste/budget etc.
- Knowledge of the local city
- Project planning skills
- Having a wide network of various subject matter experts
- Having a good memory for names, faces, events etc.
While being a companion doesn’t appear on paper to be a very difficult or beneficial form of service, it is indeed a very specialised form of service that draws in other seemingly unrelated talents and skills. I feel this is an expression of service submission that requires some time and dedication in order to groom. Dominants in particular are very protective of their time, and no submissive wants to be thought of or labelled as a waste of time. If you are able to provide good companionship, you will find yourself to be a sought out and desired submissive - no jazz hands required even.
