Urban Barbarian II

Urban Barbarian II

In our free time (and there was precious little of this) we acquainted ourselves with Pocono Mountain arcana: Hex Signs and Squonks, Wayne Deer and tusked, hairy humanoids that sprang from UFOs. We grew to love our new home, and for the first time in my life, I - the eternal wanderer - actually wanted to settle down.

Like all other commuters, I found myself longing for the day when I could establish myself locally and find a happy hunting ground full of game near my home. But how would I accomplish this?

I am a Motivational Barbarian by trade. Sure, I was able to find a niche in New York City, a large metropolis filled with strange opportunities. But even there, it took a quarter of a century to build my unique legend, establish a rock-solid reputation and gain a respectable level of notoriety.

And sure, NJN (the PBS of New Jersey) had named me a Human Services Superhero not too long ago... but I now dwelled in rural Pennsylvania, and was seeking eclectic opportunities in the heart of Smalltown USA.

I sought employment in the Poconos for nearly a year, yet it continued to elude me. I met many fascinating people who were doing interesting things and expressed some interest in perhaps working with me, yet nothing panned out.

Then the day finally came when my New York City based tasks ran out of funding and my monstrous commute was suddenly over. No longer did I need to leave my home in the woods and transverse the endless highways of New Jersey. No more would I wander the concrete canyons of New York in search of treasure and glory.

Our little boy would be starting kindergarten in a few months, so the option of finding another opportunity in New York or New Jersey was definitely out of the question. The big cities in Pennsylvania were just as far away and would have required yet another monstrous commute (albeit in a different direction) and the purchase of a second car. Even if we could afford this, I was sick of being caged in wheeled metal boxes that sped or stalled on grey ribbons of road for significant portions of the day and had no intention of becoming a stranger to my family.

I weighed my options.

I was eligible for unemployment insurance, so I applied for it. This would help keep us afloat until new opportunities - local ones - were discovered and siezed. Newspapers were bought, resumes were snail mailed, e-mailed or faxed in response to promising ads. I went on several interviews.

Nothing came of them.

My creative endeavors have always generated opportunities and opened my mind to new perspectives and possibilities. Yet I could no longer meet weekly with my mage, my bard or my band of minstrels. Nor was my webmaster readily available anymore. Much to my dismay, our many creative projects were suddenly standing still. My professional friends and allies were far away and I was nowhere near the playing fields in which I was known and respected. Consulting work opportunities and home-based initiatives that I had explored also seemed to evaporate all at once.

Things seemed bleak.

But I'm a barbarian. And barbarians tend to shine when things look hopeless. We've even been known to laugh at impossible odds..

Perhaps my whole approach was at fault.

I had somehow started believing myself to be a 'commuter', a displaced job-seeker with limited local prospects. I saw the sources of my success as being far away, and no longer easily accessible. Hmmm...

I had forgotten that I am a barbarian, regardless of extenal circumstances!

My life-work, my passion, my purpose, my dream, the well-spring of who I am... how could I harness these forces and channel their energies into my current reality?

I am Thor the Barbarian!

Everything good in my life has come to me as a result of following my own unique path.

What could I do now that would powerfully affirm my true will and help me establish my proper place in my adopted community?

I saw a sign in the Hawley Public Library for Dragons, Dreams & Daring Deeds, a summer initiative that promoted literacy and encouraged children to use their imaginations. I interpreted this as an omen and asked the librarian how I could get involved. During this discussion I mentioned that I review Role Playing Games (RPGs) in The Barbarian Chronicles and that I had always found them to be excellent tools for promoting literacy and stimulating creativity in adults as well as children.

Contrary to popular belief, barbarians are not illiterate savages. Hercules was tutored by the best minds his time had to offer. The Norse had their sagas and Eddas, the Celts had a rich bardic tradition that required legendary levels of druidic education. Even Conan of Cimmeria, the penultimate fantasy barbarian, was widely travelled, spoke several languages fluently, kept himself well informed at all times and could even decipher extinct languages etched on ancient scrolls. Conan was also very ambitious and successful. He became king of a mighty nation by his own hand.

I took pride in my own literacy and already promoted literacy through many of my social and creative endeavors. Here was a golden opportunity to actualize my purpose locally.

Excited, I wrote up a proposal. Wizards of the Coast, which has an excellent Library initiative After-School Adventures with Dungeons & Dragons, graciously provided the information and materials I needed for my presentation to succeed. Jean, the local librarian in charge of the Dragons, Dreams & Daring Deeds initiative, facilitated the entire process and even helped recruit participants.

A sign was posted which boldly announced my one-shot event.

This presentation proved to be very successful and led to the formation of an RPG Club, which I agreed to run and moderate for a year. Shortly thereafter, a local business and a social service agency asked if I could repeat my one-shot on RPGs within their walls as well. This opened the door to the possibility of presenting on other topics or even conducting diverse workshops.

Within a few weeks I was working as a Coordinator and Instructor in Northampton Community College's Family Literacy Program and had scheduled my first series of independent seminars (on Viking Runes no less).

Though not all of our dreams have been realized yet, opportunities abound...

The moral of this true tale is that anyone can find their place, even in unlikely locations, by sharing their passions, no matter how odd. If a barbarian from the Big City can start the process of establishing himself in Smalltown USA by acting on his love of arcane lore, just imagine what you - with dreams much less bizarre - can accomplish.

I am Thor the Barbarian and I have spoken