The Ninth Conversation

Younger: It seems like there is so much to learn, and it's like nobody agrees completely on it.

Elder: That is correct on both issues. There is always more to learn, more than any one of us could ever master. Everyone learns different things and must adapt them to their prior understanding. There will not be perfect agreement.

Younger: That sounds kind of hopeless.

Elder: Does it? I always thought it sounded exciting. Each person you meet has knowledge and a perspective that you do not have. That is an opportunity for both to learn.

Younger: What if one of us learned something wrong?

Elder: What if both of you learned something wrong? Partial truths, missing information, misinterpretation, these are all things that can and will happen. You must struggle against them; be ever vigilant. Never assume that you know or understand everything correctly. Be ready to adapt as new knowledge comes along.

Younger: But why are people so different in their thinking?

Elder: We all experience different paths. Much of our view of the world is set before we are five years old. Those formative years may be very pleasant, very harsh, or anywhere in between.

Younger: Are the ones who grow up harsh the ones that cause all the trouble?

Elder: Not always. Sometimes someone has a pleasant childhood. Everything is provided for them. When they age out of it, the external care goes away and they want to blame someone for the loss. Life suddenly requires effort and they think that is somehow wrong. The ones who grow up harsh may harbor anger and want to lash out, or they may just realize that life can be difficult and work harder to prevent that. There is quite a range of responses. Most of the time, people are not aware that their early childhood put this in their heads.

Younger: I would have thought the teen years had more to do with how people thought. You know, with all the hormones and dating and stuff.

Elder: That has an effect, but it is the walls built on the foundation of earlier developmental years. Teenagers search for an identity of their own. Headed toward adulthood, they want to be a respected individual with control over their life. They join cliques, gangs, teams, or other groups to help build a tribal identity. The ones with a good home life may identify more strongly with their family. With a weak home life, they seek outward. The ones who do not mesh well with others may become loners, for better or worse. Each person has their own path.

Younger: Is one way more wholesome than another?

Elder: That is difficult to say. We do not know the role that each person will play in the future. The Wyrd has no intention or goals; it is simply the fabric from which the Worlds are woven. Whatever pattern emerges is what we get. When you interact with someone, you can only point them in the direction that you think is best given your knowledge and wisdom at the time.

Younger: I must devote my life to this now.

Elder: You had something better to do? Say you want to work with metals. Would you not try to learn all you could not only about your craft but about how it fits in the world? Could you be a master of metal working without such understanding? Would you feel responsible for teaching others your craft and using your experience to make the World more wholesome? Can those same questions be applied to any profession?

Younger: I suppose. It just seems like being a gothi is somehow different.

Elder: It is. Most people will not earn their bread being a gothi. You probably need another job as well. That is okay. The role of a gothi is to teach and to make the World a better place. Most other jobs have those requirements as well. You can work another job and be a gothi on the side. If you can find a wholesome way to earn a living as a gothi, then do so if you wish.

Younger: If the Gods wanted us to be allies, They could have given us better instructions.

Elder: Perhaps. They meant us to be allies, but allies who can adapt to an ever changing experience. If we had explicit instructions for every moment and something changed, our instructions would likely lead us down a wrong path. Instead, we are told to be strong to take care of ourselves until we can take care of others as well. We are told to learn and pay attention to the World around us. We are told to be communal as well as be individuals. We are told to find a dynamic balance between order and chaos. We are told to be respectful and to be respectable. What more could we be told?

Younger: I just don't know what to do. I want to learn, but there's too much to learn. I want to help, but there's too much that needs doing. I think I just want to sit down with Odin and ask Him what to do.

Elder: You will need to learn how to find Him and then go do that. Be warned; He is busy and those who seek Him out get included in whatever He is up to at the time.

Younger: Hmm.

Elder: You may be better off, just picking a book and reading that. Just get the first one available to you and start there. While you are at it, pay attention to your day-to-day life and see if there are any improvements you could make. Are you living a wholesome life? Can you be more neighborly with those around you? Are things in your world growing better or is there decay? These small steps are first steps. One does not traverse a path all at once. One takes a step and then picks from the next available steps, repeating the process until arriving at the end.

Younger: There are a lot of unknowns there.

Elder: Your future is full of unknowns whether you seek the path of a gothi or not. There are unknowns in the future of a warrior, a carpenter, or a drug addict. We are limited in our knowledge of what lies ahead. The only way to see what is at the end of the path is to go there. It is an adventure, regardless of where it goes, so face it with a smile and a bold heart. Enjoy the experience. Take pride in what you survive and all that you learn, but be humble knowing that there is always more. That is the path of an Ally of the Gods.

Important Points from the Conversation

1. Everyone you meet will have different knowledge and interpretations of that knowledge. Try to learn from each other.
2. It is possible to be wrong and it is possible for two people in a discussion to both be wrong. Try to learn from this as well, but do not take the wrongness to heart.
3. People get different parts of their world views at different ages and from their experiences.
4. Many people believe what they experience in their early childhood is what the World should be like, even if they are not aware of this.
5. People tend to seek an identity in their teen years (and sometimes early twenties). This is often bolstered by association with a group.
6. Learning, teaching, and making the World a better place is the responsibility of everyone, regardless of their profession, not just the work of the gothi.
7. Few make a living as a gothi. Instead, this is something done on the side. The gothi should also strive to have a wholesome profession that pays the bills.
8. The Worlds are immense. To one who seeks to learn about them, it can be overwhelming. Start where you are with small steps.
9. Paying attention to one's life in an effort to see where you can be more wholesome is an important part of being an Ally of the Gods.