On a Saturday afternoon during the 1970s in one of Times Square's old burlesque theaters I was there to try and meet and convince a stripper from my old Brooklyn neighborhood to appear at my best friend's bachelor party to be held a few weeks later. I didn't succeed but I still remember seeing this old grandfather type, at ringside with a few young guys who could be his grandsons. He was there, in a suit, tie and white shirt, putting cash in the featured stripper's G-string and getting smothered by her breasts. I remember saying to myself, "I hope I don't act like THAT at his age!"

Yet, here I am, in my mid-60s, still online commenting on BDSM and sharing my experiences... and still doing sessions. "We mock the thing we are to be," as the 2000 Year Old Man once said.

Which brings up the question, "When is it time for a sub to retire?" Ms. Rose Woods asked the same about dominas here the other day, but what about us?

The easy answer for many subs would be the following, and not in order: budget; health; guilt; being outed; or a fundamental change in lifestyle (getting turned off by the scene, finding someone to do this in a lifestyle setting, etc.).

Being a sentimental fool a few years ago, when I turned 60, I tried to session with ladies I knew years before, or always wanted to serve. Over a year I served five ladies, two I knew in the '90s. With one of the '90s dominas, who was/is under-the-radar and semi-retired, the sparks clicked. We became uncontrollable. She's 20 years younger than me and continues to be imaginative, considerate and absolutely gorgeous. We did things I never did with her (or once or twice with others) and the volume of sessions and intensity were and are amazing.

In the past year and a half the sessions have been a lot fewer, lots of texts, but I've seen her a lot less since she is focusing on a vanilla career. I still have a budget for her reasonable tributes. A major session is scheduled soon, longer than normal. My roleplay is my screen name - I have to look the part for any believability.

My health is fine, muscle tone good and I keep in shape, but on some mornings after I do my exercises my joints are still stiff. I look at myself in the mirror this line said by Bogart in "Casablanca" comes to mind, and in a way, applies. "She did her best to convince me that she was still in love with me, but that was all over long ago. For your sake, she pretended it wasn't, and I let her pretend."

That's where I am now. The Mistress may or may not be pretending. And she makes me feel more desirable (dare I say sexy?) than I ever should feel. But I can see the old guy in the mirror. I've had more adventures, taken more chances and met more beautiful women than I ever thought possible. The memories are endless. Yet I think after this big session I will gracefully end my session life.

What do you think about all this? And, when do you think you might, if ever, end your session career?