I know what you're thinking. Not that boring bastard again. Well, yeah. It is. But bare with me. Just listen to this one. I think it's a worth subject. But then I think they are all so meh. Just hush and listen.

There are many facts of our life. There are things that are commonly agreed upon by all. For why else would a Paddy like me know em?
People will try to tell you that our way life is difficult, it's hard and not everyone is made for it.

Absolute fucking bollocks. Its very very very simple. Don't be a retard, don't shoot the wrong person, don't piss off the wrong person and definitely don't argue with your boss. If you have obeyed all these rules you will usually end up in a Godfathers family with quite a nice rank bestowed upon you. Thats a fact of life.

But what will happen before all that is this. You will get off the boat. I absolute guarantee you, 1 trillion percent, someone will mail you and ask you to join their family. This is a fact of life.

You will accept one of their offers. You have no choice. Otherwise you will end up with no life. That makes it a fact

You will then get stuck in to the Post Offices good stylee. They will be completely turned over. Jails will be emptied by your hand and you end up robbing banks. Thats your progression. That is a fact of life.

Around about 2 weeks after getting off your boat, providing you have been a good boy, your leader will approach you and pin a special badge to your chest. You will be dead chuffed with yourself and you will be set apart from those at Wise Guy and below. Completely forgetting most people are Made and above anyway. Thats a fact of life.

You will be running organised crimes around this time in your life. You will however only invite high ranking members to these as you're more likely to succeed plus you're not sharing with lowlifes. No one ever shared with you. This is a fact of life.

Somewhere around here you may start venturing in to these Streets. After all if you are not visible in the Streets you will never be given a Bold suit. Better get speaking boyo. This is a fact of life.

Following on from this. You keep your head down, keep grafting, ensure you can hold a gun with the hole facing forwards and a Godfather will come a knocking at your door. You're a good lad they say. I reckon you can run your own family they say. You worry like fuck that you will be shit but accept. This is a fact of life.

You put on your bold suit and you realise Brendan was right. It was all bollocks. It's well easy. You rake in the money and everything goes swimmingly. This is a fact of life.

After awhile, regardless of your relationships, you get a bit stale. You want a new challenge so you hope for war. You push for war. War happens. This is a fact of life.

Lot's of people die. This is a fact of life.

If you survived odds are you're a legend. You become a Godfather of your own district. Everyone loves and hates you in equal measure. This is a fact of life.

If you died. That is a fact of life. You die. If not..

Eventually, when you're dead old and bored with life someone shoots you in the face and you die. However, you know your son will do it all over again. In the same way. This is THE fact of life. No matter what you do there is no other way of doing things.

You can give me all the bullshit you wish. But I am telling you that is the game we all play. That is how it has to be played. I dare you to tell me I am wrong. But for fucks sake make sure you say why. I hope. No, I pray, someone. Anyone. Can show me another way. A way that shows we still have imagination and initiative in this world. That does not include going "I didn't want my own family I was quite happy where I was" because that is either because you were to afraid to take the bull by the horns, you didn't have enough time in the day to do so or you are just plain lazy. Thats another extra fact of life.