Zooeys Ramblings: 

Take a Bullet Kinda Loyalty

I wish to just talk about loyalty. I think Loyalty is the greatest marks of friendships there has ever been. Loyalty is what transcends us from time in this life. Its what keeps friends friends i think. When my mother died i remember her telling her members that she was trying to save them. That she would step down so they would find shelter in a new family but the words of those members echoed in her heart while the bullet found its home..."I will die by your side." "I wont leave you." "Captain My Captain." It was in those moments when she realized that loyalty is the one thing in this life which is earned more than units and more than shooting. It is the one thing that you have to put into work for day in or day out. 

What has always bothered me about life is when friends go there separate ways. One friend seems to always say the classic line, 'Im not to good at staying in contact.' To me this has always been one of the most tragic lines to ever here. When you set your friendship up with another person for immediate failure. You are giving yourself an excuse not to continually speak with them. 

I found one of the greatest Loyalties this life will ever see in the 303 clan. I was fascinated with how they worked so hard for each other and that their friendship extended the bounds of time and place. I wanted loyalty like that. I wanted friends like that. The Froto Samwise kind of friends. They would constantly talk to each other and make decisions with each other. Whether you liked them or hated them you had to be impressed and at times in awe of their loyalty to each other. They demonstrated that for their members to see plainly. 

This was never meant to be a question just a rambling pretty much. But if i was to ask a question it wouldn't be sufficient to just list one. So i guess my mind is running around with what loyalty looks like. So how about you talk about what it does and doesn't look like?

To me, Loyalty is being honest with who you are to your friends. It is screaming out captain my captain when the ship is going down and you choose to stay side by side. Its in the daily conversations and asking them how they are and not letting the word "Good" or "Tired" be enough. To me when you have a friend that is loyal they cry with you when they know you are going through hard situations. In my life i have always tried to come across as a friend and show my loyalty through compassion. To me loyalty is friendship. 
To me, if you are not loyal to your friends you will be concerned with selfish motives. Trying to get where you want to be before helping your leader out on the way. To me one who is not loyal is the insanely well protected gangster with a leader who barely can house her body guards. 

I titled my talk with you Take a Bullet Kinda Loyalty because i think thats the kind of loyalty we all want and in truth deserve. We deserve friends that have that undying passion for us to see us succeed. The kind of friends who will lay aside their time and wants to see us get where we want to be. In the bible it was said that, "No man has a greater love than this, one who lays down his life for his friend." I think thats loyalty. When you work so hard to carry a certain amount of units and you would be willing to let that all go for the safety of another. 

I think you meant Frodo/Samwise as in LOTR ? 

nice rambling tough :).

Annie was pleasantly surprised to see Zooey leading a conversation in the streets.  She looked and sounded so much like her mother.  Her enthusiasm was so infectious that Annie couldn't help but smile.

You've made some good points, Zooey.  I have to agree that loyalty is the most important aspect of the lives we lead as--let's face it--criminals.  We put so much trust in our families, our crews, and our associates that they will remain silent to outsiders about the inside details of our organizations.  We put our trust in our leaders, their actions, and that they will protect us from those wishing us harm.  This trust translates directly into loyalty.

I think most signs of loyalty are obvious: hard work, the right attitude, a willingness to help.  The indicators of disloyalty may be more difficult to see, as it's easy to mask oneself as loyal by doing all I just mentioned while hiding one's true intentions.  That being said, I think there is a difference between disloyalty and cowardice.

As has been recently discussed after the Godfather Council's latest announcement, Made Men are expected to go down with the ship so to speak.  While I agree with this decision by the Council, I believe that it isn't a lack of loyalty that causes people to join another crew, but a natural instinct toward self-preservation.  When up against an apparently insurmountable foe, it's difficult to accept one's fate.

Another point I'd like to make is that it isn't solely the responsibility of the organization's members to be loyal.  Leaders as well must be loyal to their crews and families.  Certainly, their members are expected to die for them, but the opposite is true as well.  Additionally, leaders must lead, which I believe is something that could easily be taken for granted.  It's important for leaders to hold their members accountable, to teach them the right and wrong way to do things, and to offer them opportunities to prosper.  When a leader does these things, he is being loyal to his crew.  In turn, his crew is loyal to him.

Annie took a long breath and let it out.

Sorry!  I didn't realize I had been talking for so long!  Anyway, what do you think?