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Looking After Number One Started by: Thisbe on Oct 23, '07 19:48
~Thisbe approached the streets for the first time in years after a stint in the can, oh the stories he had to tell - those could wait. He came today, not to ramble about his life, experiances or years of hardship serving his time, but to gauge the opinions of others...more out of curiosity than anything else~


Everyone knows the phrase, tis famous, but how relevent is it to the world we live in? Case example; In jail, there's no one to watch your back but yourself. No one's gonna be looking out for you, no one's there to bail you out of a problem. It's you and you alone. Number one when I was locked away was myself. So I'm released and suddenly it's put into a different light. There's a structure out here, I've got people looking out for me, and I'm looking out for others. Number one? Hah, my Boss is number one now, comes with the line of work I'm involved in.


~He paused before reopening dialect with a question~


Is this not just one large cliche though? Perhaps it's just seen as "the thing to say" so we're all deemed worthy of staying around here. For me, it's the truth. I'd gladly die before seeing my Boss hit the floor, although the ease of me saying this also comes from the fact that I know my son will step up to the plate and take care of my buisness and personal family if I die. That, along with the respect I hold for my Boss, help me to say such things with confidence and honesty.


Speaking of leaders, who is, and indeed who should be, their "number one"? Themselves? Their Right Hand Man? Their fellow leaders? The friend who's helped them throughout their life?


Another thing to consider are hidden agenda's. Those who claim to be devoted to their leader but back down when it comes to the crunch in order to protect themselves from harm. Worthless, I'd call them personally, but even they hold someone above the rest, albeit themselves.


This is where I draw to a close and await responses from elsewhere - the community. Who's your number one? Lets see a little honesty too, maybe you feel you can look out for more than one person and choose yourself and your leader for example. Lastly, does your situation change when the possibilities of your son/daughter taking your place within our world are next to nothing. Does this make your life more important than normal?


~He began to turn to a nearby bench, but stepped back at the last minute and added a last comment~


Oh, and lets not get into some arguements here, everyone has an opinion, there's technically no right or wrong answer...a discussion will suffice.
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Ultimately I am of the selfish kind and look after myself. I wouldn't be in this position if I wasn't. However, I am not sure who exactly I'd call my "Number One".


My family as a group are high up on that list. I don't need to say my friends because the vast majority of thema re included in my family. I also give my RHM as muhc protection as I can.


Hmmm, but my Number One...


I would have to say... Oliver_McTavish. Oliver was the reason I stayed up all those hours to help take down DiscoDuck and Oliver is the reason I still stand before you today as a leader (I have thought about disbanding a couple of times). Me and Oliver have already disagreed ona couple of points in the streets, but I still protect him and his family fiercely.


There are 2 reasons for this decision...


1) Oliver had a hand in authing me as he was the RHM of the leader (Rhett) that authed me to set up.


2) I just think Oliver is fucking awesome for this place. Someone who NEEDS to be kept alive.


Oh, I love you too Thisbe, don't feel left out! :)
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Hmmm number one to me.


Is is me?

Well I have been pushed from pillar to post and seen 4 bosses die. Each one I have put before myself. My last boss being almost as old as myself and although I could have moved on for ranking reasons I chose to stay and hang back for promotion, so I guess number one definately isn't me. But is number one the boss.


To answer that I would have to ask myself is there anyone in any situation that I would put before the bosses life. And answering that I would have to say no.


But that is the extreme scenario. In other instances, where it would not involve family I would fiercly protect my friends.
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Any true and loyal Mafioso would feel compelled to say their number one is their Boss, due to the protection that their CL offers them, the home that their CL has given them and the fact that this person has housed them in their HQ. It does not take much to see in the majority of the masses, that their number one, as I have already stated, is their Crew Leader.


I would have to go along with the masses, which is unlike me, and state that Oliver is my number one also. However, I am not to shy to state that I also look out for myself on par with Oliver. After all, what use am I to him if I'm dead? Keeping myself alive is also in my best interests as you can probably understand. It's possible to say that most of the things I do for myself coincide with what is in Oliver's interests too, directly or indirectly.


An example? I'd say my drug runs, or my gun. Drug runs because it is how I earn the majority of my money, yet a certain percentage is taxed from it! Therefore this benefits Oliver too, as his money levels rise due to my earnings! The gun example is just as easy to explain, I could train my gun for my own protection principally, but this would also benefit Oliver in the time of war.


But I digress. Referring back to my original answers, and the original question, I'd say that I have joint number ones - myself and Oliver - followed closely by the rest of my family.
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And yet Luigi, all your reason for naming yourself as a joint number one are selfless and point back to your boss again. I would say that gives him the number one spot?
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~Thisbe nodded along as others spoke~


Interesting, Sing, my question to you would be as your number one, would you place Olivers life in higher regards than your own, or on much the same level? I'm one of those who believe that our leaders have to be selfish, what good are they if they're dead because of putting someone else before themself? However, it's noble indeed to say that another leader is your choice.


(love you too, honey)


~He turned to Luigi~


I have to agree with witchy, your reasons are very much selfless. What's the point in working on improving your shooting accuracy without a Boss to use it for? What's the point in earning money without someone to give it to?


Would you say though, that it's easier to place someone ahead of, or at par with, yourself because you have an offspring ready to take your place should you die? What if there was no one, does the sence of self-survival take over any urge to protect someone ahead of yourself?
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I will not lie, as honorable and noble as it may be I could never hold anyone's life in this world above my own. While there may be some that I would hold at par, such as my boss or many members of my family, I wouldn't place them above myself. Now if I were to die to save them ALL that would be a different story. Life is too precious to give freely. I cannot succeed in this life if I am in a grave.


That doesn't mean I wouldn't look after those I hold at par with. I'd do everything in my power to protect them, and if their life is taken I would make sure that the theif who took it has the favor returned and I would do my best to help my friend's child grow up strong and do the same as I did for their father.
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The Great Cthulhu listens to what Thisbe has to say and feels compelled to state his opinion. Turning to those around him he looks into the eyes of those assembled and begins to speak.



Me, I'm just a regular guy. I value my friends and family above all else. Even self. We all need a helping hand along the way. I can't imagine trying to go it alone in this thing of ours. I'm just a little gear in this great big machine. In the end we can look back at our achievements and feel proud. A lifetimes worth of success and glory. That's all nice and and all that, but when you get right down to it, the money, the cars, the houses, the rank....does it mean that much to you? So much that you would turn your back on your Boss or your family and friends when they need you most? Self-preservation is instilled at birth, sure, but there comes a time for all of us when we have to make that choice. We can look at our successes and achievements and feel pride, but even better we can look back on our friends and family and feel love. Enough that we would willingly lay down our own lives to help them in a crisis. Enough that our own sacrifices means nothing to us. It's easy to make money. People walk down the street with it falling out of their pockets. It's a hell of a lot harder to make friends.



Nobody wants to die. I wish we could all prosper and carry on forever. Ain't gonna happen though. Yeah, each of us will take that journey when the time comes. When it does, all that we can ask for is that we leave this world with as much honour as we lived in it.



Who is my number one? There are too many to count. When the time comes and they need my help, they only need ask once.

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Let me ask this...


A lot of people say that their purpose is serving their friends/family/leaders...why do you serve them?


Isn't it true that we serve our friends because oftentimes they share the same goals and ideas we do? That's often what makes them our friends.


Now take a peek at why we serve our leaders. Is it just out of duty? Perhaps it should be, but lets face it, as soon as our leaders are killed in a war, how many of us go running for a new home? Shouldn't we choosing our leaders based upon our own ideas, perceptions, and thoughts? Why die for a self serving leader?


I, myself am willing to stand and die for my friends, family, and leaders, but not out of "duty" or "honor". Instead, I choose the path, the friends, and the leaders that best fit me, and serve them because in doing so it gets me from point A to point B. Thats the simple truth. It's about me. To follow someone blindly is ignorance, and in the end, you're alone, dead, and forgotten anyway.


That's two cents from a Nobody.
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My number 1 always has been and always will be the leader of the family I serve in.


Quite simply it is they that offer me protection in this world.


Not sure I need to say anymore.
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I appreciate your honesty, POD, and self preservation is indeed a natural instinct for all of us. But yet, whilst there are none more important in this world than yourself, there are those you hold in just as high a regard. I can associate with that.


Nosenseofremorse, straight to the point. A man who knows what he needs to do. I like that, and commend you for it.


Cthulhu and MrNobody, interesting points raised and most of which I can agree with myself. It's all swings and roundabouts, I may be a a lowbie on the ladder, people above me to protect and serve in order to reach the top, but my son may be the one at the top. Or his son, or whoever else is in line, but they'll then have those below them.


I agree that it's just a process of reaching B from A, or walking for as long as you want right down to Z. The way I look at it is this though, my path will take me where I'm meant to be. I choose it, but then follow. If I'm meant to reach the end, then I'll get there through good luck or whatever. Fate, some may call it. I've had some good fortune in the past, same as my father did before me, but here I go rambling once again....


~He coughed to break the uncomfortable silence which followed and quickly back it up with a stab back in the general direction of the original topic~


Thankyou both for your comments, anyone else?
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Not to stray off-topic too far, but I did find something you said interesting, Thisbe.


"I may be a a lowbie on the ladder, people above me to protect and serve in order to reach the top, but my son may be the one at the top. Or his son, or whoever else is in line, but they'll then have those below them."


I think that being said, is the exact reason you have to walk with honor and respect through this world. I'd hope that if I were ever in a position of authority, I would have others that want to help me get where I'm going. I also believe it's important to reward those that do help you get to where you're going in life. In doing so, you're taking care of number one, and also helping those that got you to where you are along their own path as well.
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Oliver is no longer my bloods number one :(
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...somehow I don't think SWYW is Thisbe's either


Strange how things work out ;)
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Perhaps I could get an invite to your pity party register123? I'll bring cookies.
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