Valmont steps into the streets of Detroit from one of his favorite bars after a night of heavy drinking with some old friends. The “coffee shop” conversations of the night lingering in his mind, an idea popped in his head that gave him the sudden urge to speak. Swigging from a flask in his breast pocket, he looks around for something to stand on while he spewed his thoughts to anyone caring to listen.

Seeing an old Soap box outside of the local convenient store he runs over giddily and picks it up, dragging it clumsily to the sidewalk.  Chuckling at the subtle irony behind his actions he steps onto the soapbox steadying himself before he speaks.

CRACK!

Before he can begin the soapbox breaks underneath his weight. Valmont stumbles backward, spilling his flask all over his suit jacket as the crate wraps its self around his foot. Cursing profusely he eventually shakes his foot lose. He then Straightens his tie clears his throat, looks around at the empty streets due to the late hours, shrugs, and begins to speak.

You know, I hear a lot of talk these days about how “Things aren’t the way they used to be any more.” How, “things have changed and not necessarily for the better” and how “the traditions of the past are barely being kept alive by the few of us who still strive to keep the old traditions around.”

In fact, the truth is, I have always heard these things, from the first moment my bloodline crossed the threshold from the old country. Every generation, every new age with new powers, every New Year, brings more “old school bloodlines” saying the same things, “Things aren’t the way they used to be any more.” I must say, even my bloodline has partaken in the nostalgic conversations usually ending in the whole “good ol’ days” speech.

A few thoughts come to mind when people say this…

Valmont swigs from his flask.

The thing is every new bloodline questing for power seeks to bring new ideas into this place. As our world grows, traditions will change, things of the past will eventually be left by the wayside, and new ideas will take their place to fill the void. Things will change, procedures will change, and things that used to be common curtsies will be forgotten as the proper ways of old. It’s simply the way the world turns. New generations bring new ideals seeking to grow greater than the shadows of their fathers, even if their fathers actions might not have been so ridiculous after all. If you don’t believe me, think about your father, did you want to follow in his exact footsteps, or did you want to do better?

What I think is, if you don’t evolve to the new ways of thinking, you lose yourself in the days of the past. Historically, things grow greater over time. Humans evolve for the better, not for the worse. After all, we are much better off as a civilization than we were 200 years ago.

People seam to want to keep this world in the same year it started in, but in truth, the calendar has been turning this entire time. Its not 1929 any more people its 1940. Prohibition is over, the Great War is over and things are changing. Who knows where the country will be in 2 years. We need to strive for the future not look cathartically at the days of the past

Let me be clear, that’s not the say that bloodline age should be forgotten. I am a believer that bloodlines age like fine wine over time. As every generation strives to do better than their predecessors, every generation also learns from their past, and for that reason, the bloodlines who have been around for ages should be respected for the amount of years they have gained experience and knowledge from. The point I want to concentrate on though is that every generation strives to do better than their predecessors.

The truth is, in my eyes, these are the some of the best days my bloodline has ever seen. Everything is as perfect as it could be for me. I have achieved wonderful things for my bloodline and for those that are close to me. As far as my closest friends and I are concerned, the past few months have been those that we will talk about with smiles for years to come. I love this age, I love it more than anything that has come before it and I would not trade it in for any other decade.

I know I have a guilty biased so my point is, maybe we should stop thinking that the good ol’ days are behind us, and start thinking that the good ol’ days are yet to come. Lets strive for the future, not look longingly at the past. Yes traditions, times and methods have changed, and they will continue to change, but if things are not the way they should be, maybe we should strive to change them for the future and not long to change them back to the ways of the past.

Thinking that he had made his point Valmont nods to whoever might have heard and walks down the block where he finds his driver waiting to take him back the Bandito Family Mansion for the remainder of the night. 

walks along the street and stops to listen to Valmont speaking. There is something about this speech he likes and agrees with. He sits down on the bench and lights up a smoke while squinting in the sunlight as Valmont continues. It is so good to hear a Don speak wise words. He applauds and continues he was down the street. 

It's not at all true that historically things grow greater over time.  There was the rise of Rome, there was the fall of Rome.  The Renaissance was followed by the Dark Ages.  Archaeological evidence shows signs of great cultures existing in place that were later dominated by simple hunter/gatherers.  Things do not grow greater over time.  Great societies come and go in ebbs and flows.

While we should always continue to move forward, we should never forget the past.  There is a good reason people get nostalgic - because there were some great times and great leaders in the days of old.  There is no way, and I mean NO WAY you can convince me that the street speakers of today are anywhere remotely close in skill, talent, and entertainment value to the speakers of old.  Quite the contrary, activity on these streets is not the most quiet it has ever been, but it has become secondary to many other types of activity.  It used to be that the streets were the central focus of this thing of ours. In fact, my historical journals describe a time when little else existed but these streets.  For some people, that was a better time, but to each their own.

Finally, please do not advise the suckers who are paying upwards of $1,000.00 per case for my grain alcohol that Prohibition is over.  I'm making out like a bandit here.

Ssweetums listens with interst to this wise Don.

Sweetums thinks to himself, we didnt make the rules, the rules were always here, they dont change. But the circumstance does change, enviroment changes and the situation changes. Evolution is important.

He agress with the Don and continues about his business.

Scott-Weiland walks out of the bar Valmont was just in, and follows him to his corner, lurking in the corner in case Valmont fell and needed some assistance. He jumps forward as Valmont falls through the case, then seeing him shake it off, lights a cigarette and leans against the wall to listen to him speak.

In fact, the truth is, I have always heard these things, from the first moment my bloodline crossed the threshold from the old country. Every generation, every new age with new powers, every New Year, brings more "old school bloodlines" saying the same things, "Things aren't the way they used to be any more." I must say, even my bloodline has partaken in the nostalgic conversations usually ending in the whole "good ol' days" speech.

I believe every "old school bloodline" has partaken in these conversations, and to a large extent, it's true. Things are not the way they used to be. Maybe that's a bad thing, but maybe it's a good thing too. Speeches of the good ol' days are best kept in bars and coffee shops, after a couple swigs when you're feeling good and feeling particularly nostalgic. Nostalgia is a good thing from time to time, it enables us to never forget our roots, never forget where we came from, or how we got here.

As our world grows, traditions will change, things of the past will eventually be left by the wayside, and new ideas will take their place to fill the void. Things will change, procedures will change, and things that used to be common curtsies will be forgotten as the proper ways of old. It's simply the way the world turns. New generations bring new ideals seeking to grow greater than the shadows of their fathers, even if their fathers actions might not have been so ridiculous after all. If you don't believe me, think about your father, did you want to follow in his exact footsteps, or did you want to do better?

Time in the world, is normally declared by the word "era." In that vein, each bloodline can be called an "era." From journals, and from my mother, I have been taught one very important thing; The end of an era, is simply the beginning of a new era." Do you want to live in the old era, or be a part of the new? It's very simple, be the change you want to be in the world. If you prefer the ways of old, live by the ways of old. Don't be a conformist and change because everything else is. It's up to you, you have a voice.

It's not at all true that historically things grow greater over time. There was the rise of Rome, there was the fall of Rome. The Renaissance was followed by the Dark Ages. Archaeological evidence shows signs of great cultures existing in place that were later dominated by simple hunter/gatherers. Things do not grow greater over time. Great societies come and go in ebbs and flows.

If all of these great cultures had not fallen, would we be where we are today? As with anything, the greatest have to fall for the lesser to rise. If Rome hadn't fallen, we would still be in the era of Emperors. We wouldn't know capitalism. Hell, who's to say the United States that most of us ran from Italy to join would even be here? I completely disagree that things don't grow greater over time. We have a much greater admiration of Rome, and The Renaissance, and greater cultures today than we would if they were still around. We would just know them as the norm. Things are always getting greater. It's always darkest just before the dawn. Life must end for new to be born again. I love life right now, I can't imagine being happier in another time. Would you want someone telling you what to do, controlling every dollar? Freedom my friend, is that not the greatest thing to have grown over time?

Scott-Weiland takes a swig from his flask and sits in his corner, watching for anyone else to speak.