“When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die”
~ Queen Cersei Lannister
When I read fiction, which happens seldom, I put myself in the story and think what I’d be in the story. ’A Game of Thrones’ is no exception, I must admit that I’m obsessed with this tale of betrayal, loyalty and murder. There’s something about a period piece that really captures my imagination. To think, I almost missed the boat on this offering. People were speaking so highly of the HBO series and being who I am, I refrained from watching for fear of being disappointed.
To my astonishment, this series lives up to the hype and even surpasses the praises it garners. The series showcases families, lineages, Lords and ladies of high houses with back stories that intrigue as much as the main story. I finish this book thinking if honour is enough to live in yesteryear’s society or even our present one. My favourite characters in this story are fraught with honour, sadly they suffer the most. The parallels to today aren’t so distant. Doesn’t it feel sometimes like the greedy attain more while the honourable strive to make ends meet.
There are some places where honourable people will not venture and that becomes their undoing. You have to play a sling some mud in order to attain great heights or, at least, that’s what happens in this first offering of the story.
The only pieces fiction I read are novels that have been adapted into films. Having both mediums represented together builds a 360 degree picture that helps to grasp the characters, world and emotions.
Now that I have completed the first book in a series of seven, I anxiously march to crack the spine of the next offering. I won’t be fool and tell you whether or not to indulge. I’ll tell you this much, if you like to transport yourself centuries into the past – read or watch this. Take up your broadsword, strap on your mail with emblazoned sigil and drink a chalice of wine prior to bedding a woman. This is the ‘Game of Thrones‘ and it’s tales are descriptive, intriguing and adventurous.
Protector of the realm,
Carpe Diem Que
11:11 – Seeing the field
28 Jul“Yep… Inside each and every one of us is one true authentic swing… Somethin’ we was born with… Somethin’ that’s ours and ours alone… Somethin’ that can’t be taught to ya or learned… Somethin’ that got to be remembered… Over time the world can, rob us of that swing… It get buried inside us under all our wouldas and couldas and shouldas… Some folk even forget what their swing was like… “
~ Bagger Vance, Legend of Bagger Vance
You know that moment when the opaque mist clears you’re staring directly into the belly of the beast. There’s an aura that rushes over you and you realize that this is right. This relationship. This career. This vacation. This whatever, it’s a moment of clarity where you reflect on where you’ve been and where you’re going. The path becomes so transparent. You collect all your experiences and proceed with the greatest of care.
“Like Janus, the double-faced Roman deity and guardian of all gates and doorways, you must be able to look in both directions at once, the better to handle danger from wherever it comes. Such is the face you must create for yourself-one face looking continuously to the future and the past” (Greene, the 48 Laws of Power)
I have spoken tirelessly about the feeling of shedding a cocoon and stepping into new enlightenment. For a second, I had completely forgot what I used to write about prior to ‘Gentleman’s Guide’ series. I shifted from the path of self-discovery into becoming a spokesperson for relationships. Ironic because I refuse to embark in one for fear or stubbornness, who’s to say.
In any event, I find myself through the mist by a process of delving into the arts. I watch a film. Read a book. Gain some perspective from the works of other artists and progress. This is a process that works for me, but I’m a perfectionist and enigmatic artist. This may not be your path, but I do urge you to find one. Find something that becomes your muse whenever you may stray.
The Legend of Bagger Vance is one of my favourite films and novels because of its parallels. The story is about golf on the surface, but the subliminal message is about finding your path. To search the field for your authentic swing. Your one true path. Hell if I know what that is, but the exploration should be an enlightening process.
I have put considerable man hours and declined many offers to reach my zenith. I’m not asking any of you to be me, but search for your true path. That authentic swing. Your personal legend.
“One’s Personal Legend is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. “At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend….whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth” (Coelho, The Alchemist)
Pessimist, naysayers and gatekeepers may shun you, but find solace in the fact that you’re not alone. There’s nothing new under the sun, no idea’s original. Your journey was undoubtedly someone else’s at some time in history. I, myself, can’t believe I’m even writing this. This is subject matter I haven’t tread on in many a fortnight. It’s a wonder what a Woody Allen film and the Game of Thrones can do for the likes of creativity. The next phase of the journey takes place in November. Where the next leg takes place? Your guess is as good as mine. I suppose it’s just a matter of letting go, seeing the field and finding that swing.
Carpe Diem Que
Tags: enigmatic artist, legend of bagger vance, roman deity, travel