Reaching for the Spiral

This is the seventh draft. 

On my desk, coffee-stained and penned-over pages have been left to collect dust; Scattered until I decide to tidy up in a few months, at best. Since I heard about the post contest, I've taken intervals between my duties – pirating, blogging, fan-fiction, and the like – trying to come up with something that would sweep the contest judges off their heels. I want something...wow! I decided, typing and clicking about on my hunt for a strong message to portray. What do I want to say? I kept asking myself, Do I want to write something about achievements? What about impact on life? Ultimately, what did Pirate101 mean to me? 

Luckily, I had options. I started playing Pirate101 as early as the Beta phase and have always played a Swashbuckler. She, with the help of friends, is at the maximum level as I await expansions. I've even considered starting a Musketeer. In the meantime, I write my fan-fiction and try to connect with the pirating community. I could have said something about how I've made so many friends and how they have benefited me. Pirate101 meant an introduction to strategic gaming, opening me up to Dungeons & Dragons in April. A topic like any other would have sufficed.

Was I happy with what I had to offer, though? If I were to dare try, I could have pasted bits from those posts and called it an article. Something in it nagged at me, though. I could be better.

That could have been where the playing-working intervals started. I logged onto my various outlets – Twitter, my blogs, Pirate101 – and did the impossible; I tried to find the meaning. I ran

dungeons, invited friends to PvP, and wrote my fiction. I penned more articles, all the while praying for some literary miracle. One of the posts centered on the importance of stovepipe hats. Another told a thrilling tale of my Beachhead excursions. It's still not right, I decided, sitting back.

Even though I can be guilty of doubting myself, I was absolutely correct in that matter. Who was I to try and find meaning to derive? All for what, a sum of crowns? No matter how large or small the prize, I realized, only my most honest work would make the cut – not something clumsy and made-up. It meant going "the extra windlane" for a well-written post, but I realized that I was not only willing, but very excited to give it a shot. Looking back to things like
my website and fan-fictions, I now recognize that it's been nearly the same.

Pirate101 has taught me to reach for the stars - the Spiral, if I may - when it comes to producing what can be judged as some of my best work. It means that I have a place to shine and make mistakes. It's taught me to reach for my goals and means to me that I am capable of being the pirate that I've dreamed of becoming.

Keep Traveling