on submissives and slaves

As long as i can remember there have been debates in the BDSM community (here in the Great White North at least) about submissive versus slave. i always believed that a slave was one step above a submissive (in my own personal pecking order). For me, to be a slave was an honoured position.

Some here maintain a slave is merely at one end of the spectrum of submission. i have never been able to wrap my mind around that theory. To me there are different levels of submission but only ONE level of slave. It has all been confusing and some what frustrating to me. i learned early on not to enter into any debates with folks on this subject. Few if any accepted my definition. (holding hands out wide) submissive in this hand.. slave in the other.

A passing comment by a friend .. "am i sub or slave" made me scurry off to find some definition.. some clear definition........ sighhhh .. have you ever tried goggling "bdsm definition of submissive and slave"?? do you have any idea how many opinions there are??!!!

i read until the screen was blurry.. i had all but given up hope when i read this quote:
" Slavery is not about submission or submissive behaviors. It is about obedience."
This comes from the web site http://www.teramis.com/kink/subvslave.htm
if anyone wishes to read the entire article.

Finally something i COULD wrap my mind around..... obedience.
and now i better understand my desire to be a slave. i honour slaves .. and thus make it an honoured position. To give obedience beyond all else?? it is something i struggle daily with.... obeying Sir's rules without question... obeying Sir's tasks without question.. obeying Sir completely and totally.... Some days i succeed.. others i struggle. To give complete and total obedience is the difference (for me anyway) between a slave and a submissive.