| Published: Waubonsee Insight |
| Date: November 2006 |
| Section: Opinion |
Comments:
Oh sure, some people were quite upset with this article, but the ironic part is that none of the people I called out had the guts to come and talk to me face to face. Everything I got was second and third hand admonishments that did absolutely nothing to deter me from stirring the pot and getting the truth out there.
But guess what? After I caused all this trouble about the deplorable storage room we were stuck in, the wheels started turning (ever so slowly), and by Fall 2007 the paper had a new, functional office.
Mission Accomplished. |
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By: Ian Essling
Many months ago, I penned a piece that detailed the plight my band of wayward scribes was facing.
As you may know, we were forcefully moved from our home within the castle walls into the inhospitable environment from which we now publish our monthly musings and prattlings.
Since then, the make-up of our band has changed dramatically; gone are some legendary figures, and gone are some troublesome malcontents. I now speak as the leader of this group, and despite the horrific conditions imposed on us by the rulers of this nation; our band has grown into a huge force of talented scribes, artists and anthologists.
So large, in fact, that we have vastly outgrown the cave that we are confined to. I am proud to say that our troop now boasts some of the most talented wordsmiths in the land, but we are often limited by our surroundings.
What has not changed, however, is the deplorable and inhuman existence we were forced into by the rulers of the kingdom.
As I wrote about last season, our band had once been members of the nation; embraced by the rulers of the kingdom, the subjects and scholars alike. Soon, though, our spot in the castle was taken from us and we were exiled into the mountains, to live in poverty in whatever caves and shelters we could find.
We were promised a spot in the kingdom if we went along with the kingdom's plans and did not cause a commotion; "endure a few seasons" we were told, "wait until the kingdom has a space for you."
We were supplicated by these claims; lured in by the sweet words of the Queen of the Court who sits on the throne, we believed that after a few rough seasons in our cave, we would be allowed back into the kingdom.
As you can see, three hundred and thirty-one days later, we still sit in our cave. We continue to provide our services to the citizens of the kingdom, but we no longer believe that we will be allowed back, or that it was ever in the plan to let us back.
We offered the rulers of the kingdom many choices for our re-entry into the kingdom, only to have members of the court scream in our ears that we would, "never, never," get the residence we requested.
This leads me to my point. The Queen rules from her throne, much like the Egyptian god she takes her name from, but she does not care anymore about her subjects. Other members of her royal court share the same thoughts.
Yes, there are those that would like to see the subjects treated fairly, but for the rest, the number of gold coins you contribute to the kingdom has become the deciding factor to your importance among the elite.
To be sure, there are still nobles who care. Believe me, I draw a sharp line between the nobles and the throne-sitter's court.
These nobles are brave and true artisans who teach their craft to willing pupils; whether it is the written word, theatre or pottery skills, these wise men and women share their vast knowledge with a populace forgotten by the rulers.
They are among the ordinary citizens, and unlike the castle's rulers, they are still in touch with the common folk.
These individuals teach and instruct with a passion and a fire that the rulers of the land are no longer able or willing to exert. In fact, the rulers of the kingdom are sometimes just as meddlesome and conniving when dealing with the nobles as they are with us.
I tip my cap to the nobles for their service, and they should be commended for succeeding where the rulers have failed.
The question my band must ask now is why? Have our fiery thoughts and words, often contradictory to the socially acceptable opinion, relegated us to this existence? Or have we simply been forgotten in our uninhabitable cave, while the rulers calmly sit in their spacious throne rooms making their plans?
Or, as I suspect, is the kingdom now more concerned with fame and fortune: the accolades of other rulers, the gifts brought by visitors of far off lands, and the coin piling up within the castle walls far outweigh the importance of the kingdom's subjects. |
