Mia’s Musings

Aristotle once said, “To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.”  I find this to be haltingly true both in life and in Palace Gor.

One of the first things that comes to my mind when I think of this quote and how it relates to current Gor issues on Palace is the committee members of the Sardar Fairs, and even the ones of the Winter Fest.  Anytime someone makes an effort to put something together that is outside the norm, they expose themselves to criticism from others.

There will always be people who say you are not doing something right, that things should not be done this way or that way, that your rules are not fair, your rules are not Gorean, your actions do not have honor, you are not including everyone, you are including too many people.  The list is truly endless.  The only way anyone can avoid these bites of criticism is to sit back and not do a thing.  Let the ones who are willing to take the brunt of criticism go to work and try to make a difference.  They may fail, they may do it partially right, and they may create something brilliant.  But they will never know until they first do something.

For those of us who sit back, click our tongues, shake our heads, and whisper about how things should be done differently, all I can say is….What is stopping you?  What is stopping you from doing something different in your own role in Gor?  If you are perfectly content with it and see no need for change, by all means, do not try to fix something that is not broken.  But, I find it useless and meaningless to sit back and talk about how things should be when we make no effort to take a step forward and DO something.

This applies to FM, FW, slaves, and people of different Castes, Clans, and Cultures on Gor. One thing that has remained the same throughout my years on Gor is that people will constantly judge the actions of others.  I am not talking about a Free correcting a slave.  I am talking about one home refusing to believe that the way another home operates could actually work for that home.  I am talking about a slave who is passionate, serves a lot, flirtatious, and quick to please.  Another slave will call her a furbunny and “unfriend” her and will also encourage her slave friends to do the same.  I am also talking about one FW who will take bold steps forward and live out role play in a way that suits her.  Maybe she carries goods for sale with her; maybe she is publicly submissive to her FC or her “Set of Masters.”  Or, maybe she is bold and enters into a paga tavern.

One of the great things about the many, many contradictions in the Gor books is that we each can find a place for ourselves.  A FW can be haughty or submissive.  A slave can be petulant and end up working in the kitchens in the dirtiest of tunics with no attention given to her whatsoever.  Another slave can practice the 103 ways to walk into the room and perfect the sheer art and beauty of movement so that she does draw attention.  A man can rule his home any way he sees fit, collar uncollared slaves, or choose to go to war with another home.

I remember long ago that a FM stole a homestone from another home.  It brought great stories for later.  I recall one Gorean home of the past where uncollared slaves were allowed to visit three times safely.  Any visit after that would be a collaring ceremony.  I remember when panthers had ceremonies and a Merchant or two would travel around with goods to sale.  Slaves were whipped and chained for not being attentive or for serving in a manner that was any less than what they were capable of.

Vlad asked me recently what type of date would be the perfect date for me.  I told him the perfect date for me would be to go to an air show and spend the day lying on a blanket, drinking wine, and watching the planes.  This actually reminds me a lot right now of our current situation in Gor.  Many of us go to the airport (tarnport?) and sit back, sip wine or ale or black wine, and watch the planes fly.  This means we simply go to watch what others are doing.  Perfectly happy to sit on the blanket and discuss life.  Hey, don’t knock it; it is actually fun, as most of us know.

However, what if we actually decided to do more than sit at the tarnport (airport) and watch?  What if we participated?  What if we decided to fly a plane (tarn?) instead of just watching someone else fly one?  What would happen?  Well, it would certainly be a risk.  Or, you could just sit and talk about life and do nothing.  Maybe flying a plane is too much but you want to do something.  You could build a plane, wash a plane, haul the plane to the airport.  You get the picture.

If you are feeling unhappy or even just indifferent about Gor and are considering ways to make a change, do not let the possible (or rather almost guaranteed) criticism from others prevent you from trying something.  So what if what your try does not work the first time?  There is always the second time, the third time…the fourth time…

“To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” 

I wish you well.

Mia of White Water