Traveling from "sea to shining sea" this girl found herself in the San Francisco area this month to interview Master Yurial. Master Yurial is thirty and has been married for six years. He works in finance doing computational research and spends some of his leisure time training and riding his thoroughbred race horse. In describing the animal, Master states "He often he has too much energy for our own good, but we always seem to have some real fun expending it."

Master Yurial also enjoys working on his home, trying to do the best job he can so he feels good when seeing the accomplished work. He says that he can't decide which he enjoys more, the projects he's working on or the ones he's already finished but sometimes, he just walks around and enjoys.

This girl was able to ask Master Yurial the following questions:

How did you find Gor, Master? -- I found Gor online.

What changes (if any) would you like to see in online Gorean interactions, Master? -- There are so many people who play at Gor but do not bring it into their lives. I think they do this because they lack knowledge. To them, becoming Gorean sounds ridiculous, it's all fantasy like the novels. I would like to see a stronger emphasis on the applicability of the underlying philosophy.

If you had never heard of the gorean lifestyle, Master, do you envision your life being any different than it is now? If so, in what ways? -- I am not sure how different my life would be, but I would certainly be a different person. I have grown, becoming a better and deeper individual. I have also learned a considerable amount through my interactions.

What is one thing that you think would be important for anyone who knows you to know about you, Master? -- To the free, I would say that if you have a problem with me, I am open to discussion. To the slaves, I would say that unless I ask, I do not desire to hear excuses.

What is the one thing you wouldn't want anyone to know about you, Master? -- Too funny.

When did you first realize that something about you was different from other men in todays society, Master? How did you first cope with that realization? -- Being Gorean does not make you stand out or appear different than other men. Being loud does. [:-)] I have reduced the intensity of my interactions and choose my words with much more care.

Goreans are different because of their firm set of values. If men fought to uphold all their values all the time would it be exhaustion which claimed them? The difference between men is not so much in the values they hold but when and how they fight for them. Is it the Gorean philosophy which breeds passion, or do men give the philosophy life? Like I said, I cope by choosing my battles and battlegrounds with care.

What advice would you give to anyone asking you about this lifestyle, Master? -- To make wise decisions you need a lot of information. There will be times when your information is slim and prone to error. If you have trouble with this now, imagine how much worse it will be when you are responsible for others.

Do you feel that your home environment contributed to the realization that you were Gorean? Especially your upbringing, Master. -- No. To my knowledge no one in my home environment knew about Gor. But my upbringing was certainly a vital factor to the individual I am today.

How did learning about the Gorean philosophy affect you, Master? -- The books are full of issues I had never considered before. Thinking about them has given me a better understanding of not only myself, but others. This understanding affects my decisions.

When asked about slave ownership Master Yurial imparts this information: "In order to begin being a good slave girls need to focus on the needs of others instead of their own. This is particularly hard in most modern cultures because girls believe they have a right to happiness - short term as well as long term. Short term sacrifice and internal change is not a choice most girls make. While a girl might be born with a disposition which would allow her to become a great slave, she must still be trained to become one. This training is a huge investment, is very involved, and carries with it a rather significant amount of risk. I do not own any slaves, and it is unlikely, though not impossible, that I will."

Closing her notebook, this girl thanked Master Yurial for taking time to be interviewed and then spent the rest of her trip wandering around the City; or THE City as the residents are prone to say. She rediscovered some of her favorite places... Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, Lombard Street, the 49ers locker room... er.. maybe she'll just leave that part out.

Until next month readers...

snoopy