A friend from Michigan stopped over for a couple of nights during his vacation journey. Like most journeys his has an ultimate goal, but for him half the goal is to have a really good journey. I wish he could have stayed longer. It was a joy to have him in the house. He is a fascinating person full of stories to tell and thoughts to share. His approach to life is very different from mine and the parallax view is fascinating and useful. I believe he is also the most charismatic person I have ever met. Something about him just draws people in. It is not at all surprising that he runs a thriving sword school and has created an amazing camaraderie among the students.
At one point we spent some time discussing archetypes as applied to real people. He considers himself a Paladin. A Paladin is similar to a Warrior, but is driven by ideals where a Warrior is driven by the thrill of battle. It was fascinating to listen to him talking about his sword class students in these terms. He made the fascinating observation that many rebellious/punk teens are actually Paladins who see where things are wrong but lack a pathway to make things right and so have to settle for declaring themselves apart from the system any way that they can.
I am neither a Paladin nor a Warrior, I am a Guardian. I do not seek to do battle or to right wrongs, I seek to protect the home front. I’ve been aware of this role as a Guardian for about a month now, but I have wondered about the value of Guardianship as compared to the roles of Warrior or Paladin. I mumbled something to that effect out loud and was pinned by this friend’s stare. He has a very intense stare. He then informed me exactly how important it is for Warriors and Paladins to have Guardians so that they have a safe place into which they can retreat. It was nice to have my role so strongly affirmed by a person I respect. Later we decided that Howard is an Artisan with a little bit of City Watch thrown in. (Edit: After reading this post, Howard suggested Bard as a better primary category for himself. I believe he’s right.)
In a different segment of conversation, we were playing Comparative Childhoods. It was a sharp contrast. He grew up in a New York City project. I grew up in suburban California. He always knew he had to fight his own battles. I was always protected. Until I spoke with him, I did not really understand what “New York City Project” meant. What a social disaster those are for trying to raise children. Unfortunately I do not see a readily available alternate for the people who live there. Sadly for some people getting to live in a rent controlled project is a godsend. At one point in the conversation I mentioned that I have always been kept physically safe either by the intervention of people who care, or more often by my own intuition telling me to avoid a situation or person. A look of relief crossed his face. He said that often with his female sword students he gets into a conversation like the one we were having and the woman then spills a tale of victimization. This causes his inner Paladin to want to go and kill the perpetrator. He was really glad that I just don’t have any such tale to tell. Afterward I was thinking about that, and realized it makes sense that he has had that particular conversation so many times. Most of the women who come to sword classes are seeking empowerment. It should not be surprising that many of them are seeking empowerment because at some point in their lives they were made to feel utterly powerless. I’m afraid my friend is doomed to have more of those conversations, because these women can not truly feel powerful until they have faced their victimization and exorcised it.
I keep calling this man my friend. He was Howard’s friend first. Howard does a really good job picking friends and they usually become my friends as well. At least they do if I get the chance to meet them. But these days Howard flies off to conventions and meets fascinating people that I’m unlikely to ever meet. Then last year I attended Penguicon and I got to meet this particular friend. It was fun, but conventions are busy places and there wasn’t much space to sit around and talk. Having him here at the house was worlds different, he is now my friend too. That is good. I would love to be able to take our whole family and road trip to visit him and his family in Michigan. I’ve no idea when that is even feasible, but I hold it as a dream trip now.
I’m glad to hear he made it out there. I’m one of his students, and my particular class is named “Paladin” for the same reasons he stated.
I’m glad to hear he made it out there. I’m one of his students, and my particular class is named “Paladin” for the same reasons he stated.
Oh, and I’m sure he’s told you about “Sword Camp”. It’s in August.
Oh, and I’m sure he’s told you about “Sword Camp”. It’s in August.
Oh yes. I heard many many stories about sword camp.
Oh yes. I heard many many stories about sword camp.
I’d be curious to know all the different categories he had for people besides Paladin, Warrior, Guardian, Artisan, and City Watch.
I’d be curious to know all the different categories he had for people besides Paladin, Warrior, Guardian, Artisan, and City Watch.
Those were the only ones we discussed, so I don’t know.
Those were the only ones we discussed, so I don’t know.
I find it interesting that you, who were protected as a child, are now a Guardian – contrasted to this friend who had to fight his own battles.
Probably a very obvious … uh … observation, but it struck me.
I find it interesting that you, who were protected as a child, are now a Guardian – contrasted to this friend who had to fight his own battles.
Probably a very obvious … uh … observation, but it struck me.
“This one time, at Sword Camp…”
Sorry. Really, I am very sorry.
Please don’t ominous hum at me like that ….
Do you even know that joke? I cannot imagine the two of you seeing that movie, for some reason. 😉
“This one time, at Sword Camp…”
Sorry. Really, I am very sorry.
Please don’t ominous hum at me like that ….
Do you even know that joke? I cannot imagine the two of you seeing that movie, for some reason. 😉
Whatever movie you’re referring to, apparently I haven’t seen it cause I didn’t get the joke.
Whatever movie you’re referring to, apparently I haven’t seen it cause I didn’t get the joke.
Glad you and are getting hang time with him. Tell him Eric and Cathy say hi!
Glad you and are getting hang time with him. Tell him Eric and Cathy say hi!
American Pie, with two sequels.
Probably not worth seeing, generally speaking, but Allison Hannigan plays as a high-school flautist, a band dork, if you will.
There is a great deal more to it, but suffice to say that she says “This one time at band camp….” followed by some pratter that qualifies as a location joke – ie you had to be there – until late in the movie. She says “This one time at band camp…” and you expect something inane and largely pointless to someone who wasn’t there. Instead she drops a bomb that you do not want the details of, which causes the protagonist to spittake, and leads to the “happy” ending.
“This one time at N camp” has been a low level meme at times, and can be deployed in all sorts of interesting social situations.
I wouldn’t have mentioned it except that he said “Sword Camp”, and that seems about as far removed from the original reference as you can get. Unless you tried “Terrorist Camp”, perhaps.
Anyway, I’m really very sorry, and I’ll never do it again. 🙂
American Pie, with two sequels.
Probably not worth seeing, generally speaking, but Allison Hannigan plays as a high-school flautist, a band dork, if you will.
There is a great deal more to it, but suffice to say that she says “This one time at band camp….” followed by some pratter that qualifies as a location joke – ie you had to be there – until late in the movie. She says “This one time at band camp…” and you expect something inane and largely pointless to someone who wasn’t there. Instead she drops a bomb that you do not want the details of, which causes the protagonist to spittake, and leads to the “happy” ending.
“This one time at N camp” has been a low level meme at times, and can be deployed in all sorts of interesting social situations.
I wouldn’t have mentioned it except that he said “Sword Camp”, and that seems about as far removed from the original reference as you can get. Unless you tried “Terrorist Camp”, perhaps.
Anyway, I’m really very sorry, and I’ll never do it again. 🙂
Actually, there are proabably a few incidents, not just at Sword Camp but our parties in general, that might fall into this particular meme. Though not exactly that bit at the end you refer to, IIRC, by any means. But we are far from being a tame bunch.
Actually, there are proabably a few incidents, not just at Sword Camp but our parties in general, that might fall into this particular meme. Though not exactly that bit at the end you refer to, IIRC, by any means. But we are far from being a tame bunch.
Thanks for the Sal report; I’m glad our friend The File found it.
Thanks for the Sal report; I’m glad our friend The File found it.
It is an interesting observation. I noticed the same thing myself. I’m not sure whether it is statisically significant or not though. A sample of two is really small.
It is an interesting observation. I noticed the same thing myself. I’m not sure whether it is statisically significant or not though. A sample of two is really small.
Not An Artisan
I’m not an Artisan.
I am a Bard.
Not An Artisan
I’m not an Artisan.
I am a Bard.
Re: Not An Artisan
….and a bard is a type of Artisan. You are a creative type, and it doesn’t matter if you’re carving wood, cobbling, or storytelling via a webcomic. It’s all part and parcel of an Artisan.
Re: Not An Artisan
….and a bard is a type of Artisan. You are a creative type, and it doesn’t matter if you’re carving wood, cobbling, or storytelling via a webcomic. It’s all part and parcel of an Artisan.
I dunno. Steven Brust generalizes from a sample of one whenever possible 😉
I dunno. Steven Brust generalizes from a sample of one whenever possible 😉
Re: Not An Artisan
All Bards are Artisans, yes, but not all Artisans are Bards.
And it DOES matter.
Re: Not An Artisan
All Bards are Artisans, yes, but not all Artisans are Bards.
And it DOES matter.
Re: Not An Artisan
For what it’s worth, I believe the Irish would agree with you. In general, those who greate with the pen are considered Bards in Ireland, and it matters because the Irish still do not assess income tax on Bards’ income.
I have not looked to confirm that the Irish include cartoonists specifically as Bards, but they do include authors and computer programmers. I’d be surprised if cartoonists didn’t qualify.
Re: Not An Artisan
For what it’s worth, I believe the Irish would agree with you. In general, those who greate with the pen are considered Bards in Ireland, and it matters because the Irish still do not assess income tax on Bards’ income.
I have not looked to confirm that the Irish include cartoonists specifically as Bards, but they do include authors and computer programmers. I’d be surprised if cartoonists didn’t qualify.