A Swordsman

As indicated in my first post, I do have a story to tell, albeit an odd one. I hope that I will eventually get to writing about it as I continue to post here, but for now, I will take a moment to explain the motivations of the main character. As one might be able to derive from the style of my writing, I tend to view the world from a mixture of perspectives. One being a realistic, unromantic world view based upon experiences and common sense; the other being an anachronistic sort of dreamer's approach to life and the experience thereof. Although these two views knit together for all my regular comings and goings, they occupy designated seats in my mind. The pragmatic view is the guide, while the anachronistic view is the drive.

You see, there are people in the world who fit in and there are people in the world who don't - and then there are people who wear the world like a hot, itchy business suit; their only solace in doing so being the knowledge that the suit will defer to more comfortable clothing once the need for wearing it has passed. I am one of the these people, and if you are still reading this, there is a good chance that you are too. Hence the title of this particular post. Despite my many jobs, homes, names, hats, etc., through it all I am what one might call a swordsman.

Laughing? Perhaps a few of you freak alarms are ringing now, but I'll take a second to further explain. I literally am a swordsman, in that I have practiced fencing, kendo, tameshigiri, and a few others. Kendo is my current favorite; and I currently practice in Korea, where it is known as Kumdo. The Chinese characters for the names of the two arts are the same, by the way - as are the arts for all practical purposes, though some might argue. In any case, I am not one to debate martial philosophy against the myriad potential opponents presented by the internet; all I can say is that according to my observation from a purely practical perspective, the two are similar enough to be considered almost interchangeable (just to satisfy any background debate that might erupt along that subject line). So therefore, I am literally a swordsman - an individual having some proficiency with the use and maintenance of swords. I am not, however, a cosplayer or a Live Action RPG...guy, or an individual who envisions himself murdering people in duels. Perhaps the dichotomy between a swordsman and the aforementioned other things is a bit difficult to distinguish at times (depending on the reader's own orientation), but it is a difference that is nonetheless significant.

Anyway~ as a swordsman, I find that in daily life I am driven by a somewhat different set of motives than my peers, and therefore am often forced to wear the itchy suit of normality for their sake as well as my own. But, I suppose we all have our real faces and the masks we create to cope with modern society; that is the essence of what it is to be civilized. Offend not and be not offended. According to the swordsman archetype, I try to maintain a sort of calm demeanor - an even keel between serious and nonchalant most of the time - saving any foolishness for only the most private of times. I do not engage in many carnal pleasures, never drinking alcohol or inhaling the smoke of tobacco, and remaining celibate - as I am unmarried. I do however eat and sleep quite a lot and I often wonder if I enjoy that as much as or even more than my regular training. Perhaps also somewhat stereotypically, I constantly strive to increase my strength, speed, and skill; working to keep excess weight to a minimum and endurance as high as possible. If reading this brings to mind various fictional characters, don't worry, many have told me exactly that. The only thing that differs between them is the character to which they found my personality analogous. This is the swordsman self. Of the selves I often am, this is the one that is most completely me.

Why is this of any importance? Because it establishes the character without delving too deep into history. Here we have an odd person, driven, essentially good - but odd. A character whose personality is almost incompatible with the society in which he finds himself, but adaptable enough to function and in some cases even to thrive in that society. The other selves to which I referred will become more apparent as the story progresses. The next step will be to establish the setting of the first installment, which will have to wait until I have time to write again.