Are you a Barbarian?
It’s easy for me to outline what the Modern Barbarian really is, but the question remains, are you one of us? Are you one of the Brothers or Sisters of Iron and Stone?
At the end of the day, the decision has to rest on you. That is, of course, unless you’re one of ours who has no decision to make at all.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve identified myself as a warrior. My play consisted primarily of fighting bad people and protecting good people. My toys were Star Wars and G.I. Joe. I had toy guns but never played the villain. I was who I was.
At my core, I was always the guy who wanted to do what was right.
I have a dark side, mind you, one filled with rage and fueled by the malicious tauntings of my youth. However, I keep it in check. I have to, because that dark side is a part of me I’d rather not see.
Yet even that is dedicated to noble purposes.
Oh, I have it in me to be a right bastard, but no part of me could stomach doing anything to harm the innocent.
For me, the idea of being a Barbarian was never a choice. It was who I was, who I was forged to be through the years.
I’m not perfect. There are those out there that could tell horrible stories about me. I’m willing to bet a number of them are more or less true, though possibly colored somewhat by perception. Still, my faults are there, they’re real, and I won’t pretend they don’t exist.
No one is pure. None are perfect.
Yet even the impure can set themselves upon a noble task. Even the imperfect can embrace the calling of the Barbarian. I did. You can.
More to the point, maybe you should.
There are many things to like about civilization. I personally like having food delivered and catching a movie over the weekend. I like the fact that existence isn’t short, nasty, and brutish for most Americans.
But civilization isn’t Utopia.
We live in this world. This world where the evil and cruel bank on us being civilized. The strong and cruel prey upon the weak and civilized. They even pray on the strong…the strong and civilized.
Civilization leashes the mighty, a tool to keep the strong in check. It keeps us from our true destiny.
Those days are over.
Those days deserve to end.
Today, we reach out and take our destiny. On this day, we don’t number ourselves among the brigands and bandits. We don’t rank ourselves among the cruel and capricious.
We are Barbarians.
Together, we stand against the evil in our world. We protect ourselves. We stand for our loved ones, protect those we call brothers and sisters. Most of all, we protect those around us.
There are those in this world who think we shouldn’t, that it doesn’t mesh with our “values.” Those are the values of a civilization that seeks to fall into ruin.
Ironic that we, those who refuse to bow to civilization’s whims, must save that civilization. That’s our lot, though.
Because unlike the civilized, we recognize our own interests and will protect those if nothing else.
Even if those we’re protecting would rather we didn’t.
At the end of the day, we’re protecting ourselves as well.
So, I ask again, are you a Barbarian?
