Ghost wandered out into the street amongst some friends and a relatively small contingent of bodyguards to the public speaking area in order to address the world.  He stood on a special soapbox which was the made his voice travel throughout this thing of ours.  No one understood how the soapbox worked, but none questioned its importance.

Hello friends and rivals.

What I came here to discuss today is the recent malaise that has encroached upon this thing of ours.  I suppose that may be too grandiose, but lets say that at the very least there are some areas where we can improve.  I don't believe I can touch on all of those items today, but I would discuss a few and maybe get some opinions as well.

The thing I'd like to focus on today is engagement amongst the community.  Admittedly, I am poor at doing that on the public stage.  I don't feel comfortable speaking to the group of all of you given my the troubles I've had in my life coming up as a young member of this community from Italy.  Despite that, I, as someone who has some visibility of a leader, should take a step forward for the sake of everyone. Considering that I'm not the only person who feels a little uncomfortable, I thought I'd discuss an opportunity to reach out to the many unheard voices in this thing of ours.

Ghost took a quick pause to glance at the crowd to determine whether he had their attention or not.  After confirming that he had, he moved on with the crux of his speech.

So... what makes this thing of ours tick?  A simple question to consider.  Some may say its the gods above.  Others may say its the people who have a leadership role.  My personal answer is the community.  What that means to me is that the leaders of this community may provide guidance or rules to the rest of us, and the gods make the occasional decree from above, the true beating heart of this thing of ours is the average joe who is creating their own personal story.  Community engagement can only be shown by example by leaders, but each person needs to make an effort.

So what gets people involved?  There's the question that can make and break leadership in this thing of ours.  With that point in mind, here are a few examples to consider.  We recently have underwent a significant change in the community and we've had minimal discussion regarding it.  The gods have decreed multiple changes on how we interact with those who are fresh off the boat and only the comment box to the gods discussed it.  While that may sound like sour grapes, it highlights that we haven't discussed in public many topics that could engage people at the personal level.

Is this from fear of stepping out of line, the negative feedback people receive when they have a dissenting view, or something else?  I can see this from many perspectives but its probably a conglomeration of many factors.  I think the most prevalent answer today is that people don't see examples of constructive banter amongst people.  Seeing an example of positive interaction is something that allows people to gain the knowledge and expertise of forefathers from times long past.

So, with those three questions, I've painted a somewhat negative view of the current status of this thing of ours.  This isn't necessarily the fault of any one entity, but I think we can all takes steps to address it.  I think we can improve things by reaching out to everyone and attempting to re-engage the long-neglected members of this community.

Therefore, I have a challenge to every person within the reach of my voice, especially those who have not had the courage to speak out or feel like they don't know what to say.  Either respond to this speech with your ideas regarding this conversation, or mail me your ideas of things that you would like to discuss.  Your actions today, what does recent policy mean to you, roles and responsibilities in this thing of ours, or whatever else you can dream up.  My goal, is to encourage everyone to bring up one thing they would like to talk about publicly.  The lack of topics to discuss is probably among the largest reasons people don't get involved.  I won't squabble about whether you're in my family, city, or even if you're antagonistic against what I stand for.  Similarly, I won't disregard any person regardless of their position in this thing of ours.

In return, I would like to discuss anything that you can come up with in a public forum.  I'll politely ask that if you are interested, that you act as appropriate in public.  If you're not sure what that means, then why don't we talk about it?  That's as good as anything right?

Ghost walks away and awaits what kind of response he will get to his challenge.

people are scared to take chances as they know they will just get shot lol @ gooch

people just do their crimes and mug the old ladies and keep their mouths quiet' but we can all see the lights diming.

look at the streets and activity and the coffee shops. what was once a place of excitement and newcomers is now the same clique of friends 24/7 and even the stories are dying out.

there are no underground groups or rebellion as the lowly have decided their fate and hope someone else will do it. the hitlisting has stopped and rogues are rare.

we have leaders and godfathers who only appear to announce and even that is rare but those at the top do nothin' cuz they all friends here and in the outside coffee shops. look around at those on top and who actually does anything.

we need real leaders with real heart that are not obsessed with only their survival. maybe these pawns or new leaders will step up for the short time they live

Ghost turned to LilWayne who inexplicably committed suicide after speaking.  If nothing else, Ghost wanted to respond to his words for the rest of the world.

Did gooch really understand what he was getting himself into?  While people may laugh at his effort, he thought he was going to have a chance to take his shot as a leader.  Did he know to discuss his plans with the current leadership and even if he didn't build an alliance, build a modicum of respect for his intentions?  Did he know that he may have had a better shot if he built his support base first before jumping head first iinto the unknown?  Did he even know the risk?  I don't happen to know his bloodline or ancestory, but I assume that he may have lost his desire to be part of the community when he wasn't given a fair shot to an opportunity he didn't understand.  This is EXACTLY the reason why people should talk to each other and build relationships, as you would have someone in your ear to let you know when you're given a bad hand in this thing of ours.

Also, from a business perspective, he didn't have an opportunity to pan out his plans past buying a plot of land for his headquarters.  What if his spin on this thing of ours would have changed all of our perspectives and he wasn't given a shot?  I won't get involved with matters that are not my own, but everyone should be taking notes on what has happened to the last several people to take the risk of setting up.  I wonder what the potential income would look like if any one of the group survived past a few days.  It makes me a bit jealous, if you really think about it.

Regarding the coffeeshop clique, that is something that is absolutely a problem.  The gods themselves told me that its the community's fault because of the effort spent on attractions and deals at the coffeeshop.  I respectfully disagree with that viewpoint due to the speed people disregard someone they don't know.  Part of my intention is to bring some people into the fold of the community who feel otherwise jaded or at least let them know that someone is out here that wants to work with them.  We're all in the same ocean together, even if we're all in different boats.  How's that for a metaphor?  Its not quite the FriendShip I've heard about in my ancestor's records but I'm not far off right?

Regarding leadership, I think your comment disregards any personal responsibility that a vocal member of the community should have.  When we point fingers at people without taking any opportunity to address issues ourselves, we are just as responsible for the outcome.  I would submit that the current leadership is doing what they should be doing given the current climate which is manage their families and protect their assets.  The point of this speech was to engage the community, but in turn community engagement is going to either lead or follow increased leadership engagement.  I don't think the responsibility falls on any one group's shoulders.

I'll say that the final comment was applying a label to the groups here without any basis.  We have leaders who care about their families and are building alliances.  There is a difference between caring about the survival of your family and disregarding the world to achieve it.  I don't think we're doing the latter, despite your comment.  The political game is well intact in this thing of ours which is a sign of healthy interaction.  What's missing is the discussions around it.  The whole point of me starting this discussion was to tell people that they can discuss those items or even the tangential topics that stem from them without fear of repercussions, so long as they are respectful in a manner that befits a member of this thing of ours.

Ghost steps backs to allow more people to speak regarding the topic.

Tammy cracks her knuckles, an eager grin on her face.

"Mista' Ghost, a welcome monologue which shows genuine care and consideration for how our world runs. You have my admiration, sir. I'm goin' ta' keep my response brief, as I have talked about these points in the past and will not be givin' individuals the opportunity to catch me repeatin' myself.

"You have touched on what I believe keeps things runnin' smoothly from an activity point of view, and that is effort. Makin' an effort inspires others ta' make an effort. I wasn't convinced however have had a couple of people approach me ta' talk about carving their name into tha' streets. All because they see my face out here already.

"It doesn't just take effort though, it takes excitement, opportunity an' thrills. Havin' a regime in place as long as we have done makes that difficult, however there are clear efforts from those in power to offer us the chance ta' witness or experience developing situations. Los Angeles, Detroit, New York, all clear examples."

The young woman eyes up her reflection in a nearby frontage window. She tilts her head and watches her curls topple from her shoulder.

"What makes us tick? We all have different agendas and motivations. Though specifically for my drive ta' be out here on tha' streets? A legacy, of sorts. Bein' out here cements my place in history, regardless of the heights I reach. I can send thousands of private messages, lead gloriously from behind closed doors or live to tha' oldest of ages, but none of that tells the story of who I am and what I did.

"A given few, perhaps if I was leading a crew would know of my methods and abilities. Those that mail out hundreds and hundreds of telegrams have clearly got good communication skills and a man 'dat lives for years on years clearly has a knack for survivin'. None of this I can reflect on though. I want my children ta' be able to look back through these streets and know that their ancestors stood out here spoke freely an' were not afraid to be heard. And those words will still echo as clear as they did when first spoken."

“That is a nice business card you drop off here, Ghost. If you take anything away from this thing, let it be that you should feel comfortable about speaking on a stage as to me it seems you do a pretty good job at that.”

“You refer to a malaise when speaking about the state of this thing of ours, almost as if that is a fact. If we sometimes witness those young of age scream and kick, it sure seems like that. But if I look at the shining examples of this world, the honourable Made Men, I don’t see much acknowledgement of this malaise. Well, I’m not that socially involved, so I might miss the moments when it happens. But there’s never someone in my family that says 'Wow, did you hear how those guys from Chicago messed up?'. Or never while counting the profit of a raid is there a teammate that questions why we do these raids together, but never enjoy the profits over a good dinner and drinks. And I’m just as guilty. I peek around the streets and I’ve heard both Godfathers and Gangsters say intriguing, debatable or simply ridiculous things, but never once did I bother to engage them in conversation.”

“So are we really in a malaise, or are we really okay with it? Perhaps not satisfied by it, but okay, you know?"

“You say the lack of topics is probably among the reasons why we have so little interaction in this community. I question whether that is the case. I could name a few topics to discuss already, but I am not convinced people would feel comfortable discussing that. I’m not sure people would really want to solve the problems that exist in this place. And to be honest, with a girlfriend and kid at home who love me I’m not sure how much heart I have for the world of crime either. Money can’t buy happiness after all.”

“Well, maybe that’s the problem. We got tainted by civilian attitude. Perhaps we don’t really like our jobs that much, but it pays for the wife’s dresses and the mortgage. All these thirteen-in-a-dozen conversations bore me as fuck, but at least no-one punches through my weak-ass arguments. Or hey, this guy punches through my weak-ass arguments; let’s not invite him to our next barbeque anymore. We’re not friends with our neighbours, but at least my house is bigger than his. Damn that guy’s house is bigger than mine, let’s call corrupt behaviour as the reason for his success.”

“And maybe that’s alright. But eventually the things that drew us away from civilian life aren’t more money, more power and more shallow relationships. It’s excitement and challenge. We came here for an engaging lifestyle and that would naturally lead to much debate and conversation. If any community doesn’t seem to revolve around that anymore, usually all capable persons are to blame. That means those death and alive, that could’ve made a difference somewhere along the way. People weren’t convincing enough, weren’t inviting, inspiring, daring, whatever the fuck people could lack in … enough.”

“And here we stand today. Staring at each other. Personally, I don’t think the problem is lack of problems, or topics to discuss. I don’t think there’s a lack of solutions. I think we need to have a mindset that makes us problem-solvers as a community. Solving things isn’t the issue. But everyone wanting to do their part to solve things, to get excited. That’s the challenge.”

I appreciate the feedback, Tabitha and Max.  After listening your responses and thinking about my stance a bit further, I think I have a couple things to clarify.  The change in mindset now, compared to the stories you hear from the elders who speak of the old days, isn't necessarily a terrible thing.  I didn't necessarily mean to imply as such.  The interaction on the whole is different, which results in a perception of it lacking in some classical aspects, despite it being perfectly fine like was mentioned.  Its to be expected with new people and thoughts, that the world would follow those changes.  Whether its a reflection of our society intertwining with their former civilian lives, pressure from the laws of society, or a perceived lack of drive to build something greater than themselves, the world is a different place than it was before. 

The thing that we all can do in the face of a new world is take a step forward.  My speech, upon some reflection, was my way of gathering my resolve to take steps forward myself.  To build something greater is difficult since what each of us builds is so different from one person to the next.  For example, there are people who value corresponding through telegraphs instead of just visiting the local coffeeshops and vice versa.  Depending on your perception, you may think that one or both of these methods lacks something in building the greater community. 

In the end, I think we all have our own way of interacting with the world.  The challenge I intended to present was one of having people stepping outside of their normal boundaries and their normal interaction with this thing of ours to do something different.  You can call that taking an extra effort, or just trying something different... but in the end, and excuse this phrasing in advance, the community will decide where the community goes.  What I'd like to do is put my part of the world on the right path and hopefully have a few people follow the example or at least take note that there are different ways to move forward in your own way.

Ghost sits down at a nearby bench, waiting to see if anyone else approaches with their thoughts.  In the meantime, he watches the crowd near where he gave his speech as they talk amongst themselves.

Freddie walks over to Ghost and sits beside him on the bench. He pulls out a steel cigar case from within his jacket and offers one to Ghost. Ghost's concerns about his own public speaking were perplexing to Freddie. He had known him for some time now, and had always seen Ghost as a reliable and knowledgeable individual - someone that would always have a word with you, especially when you needed it most. The fact that he had taken a stand was testament to this in itself. 

"Times are changing my friend. I remember listening to my father talk to his father about these Streets. The noise, the commotion, the sheer importance to their daily routines, I remember it all. But times change. This isn't to say that this change is a bad thing. These Streets are not deserted and the conversation has simply moved elsewhere, but I understand your concerns. Let me add something though, and as a friend and a Family member, I beg you take no offence."

Freddie looked at Ghost square in the face, making eye contact for a little longer than perhaps necessary. He did the same with each SteampunkMax and TabithaGato before continuing.

"It is easy to observe the beauty of a river, but difficult to change its course. If we were to try, where would one start in altering the course of the community and perhaps more importantly, is it what's desired?"

Thanks for the metaphor Freddie.
It is indeed more difficult to change the course of a river than to simply observe it flow. However the Panama Canal is a fine example that with the right tools and dedication men can perform mammoth tasks. Changing the course of a river is possible, but your last comment is what matters most: Is it desired to change it's course or build a whole new fucking river?

Somehow it's difficult to get answers to that question. Everyone will agree with the fact that we should strive for the best as a community. We can acknowledge that the streets are not for everyone, but seeing them flourish makes us all happy. Everyone admits that they want to enjoy spending their time here.  No one will deny that this place offers a broad scala of opportunities to various forms of satisfying engagement.

But that's the abstract truth about what this place can be for us. The question that really matters is how much do we actually like what we have now? If we can get personal and honest, forget about political correctness, but just simply identify in what areas this place lacks to us, then right there can we find our personal motivation to work towards change.

And perhaps we don't see anything lacking and then that is our answer to whether we need to change the river's flow? No, we don't.

But maybe we do see where this whole experience isn't satisfying us. And maybe we'd love to have more exciting, but respectful debates on the streets, but are we afraid what it will do to our public image. Or maybe we'd love to have more challenge in running our businesses, but are we afraid to possibly lose what we have right now. Those are understandable thoughts that can surface when we consider change.

Eventually how much value we attach to preservation vs opportunity is how the scales will tip. Personally I think that if what you desire is not what you hold, you should let go and accept the risk of change.

"So let's imagine the community as a whole wanted a change, or at least in some form, wanted to see a minor adjustment to the way in which our society worked, how would that change come about? I've seen many a person condemn the livelihood of our Streets, with little to no explanation of a resolution, so from a purely hypothetical stand point of course, what may alter the course of the river? It is public image or public perception, can we not offer those with thoughts they may not wish to share vocally, a form of anonymity?"

The problem is not finding a solution, Freddie. We can go all hypothetical about what we could change or discuss, but then even if there's a good solution, we wouldn't follow up on it, because we never really were motivated to begin with. Godfather Orange discussed recruitment processes not long ago. It was a nice swing at the subject, but eventually I don't believe anything came of it as a result. Because since as a whole didn't get our shit together on that topic, it appears the mayor is actually putting more pressure on the top of our organisations. This is just an example where there's an opportunity for change, but we didn't grab it.

Want an example for change? I believe the late TonyCosta from Detroit introduced the gladiator fights which we only read about in medieval historybooks. He had an idea that he believed was worth chasing and decided to go for it. From idea to realisation, he put it into place. This isn't the place to discuss originality, scale and results. It's simply commitment to a cause that atleast changed the pace of a small context.

Bring change in activity to the streets? Well, make people believe they matter. Families are the starting point here. Ask people what they think of topics. Increase the value and authority of their opinions by feeding them insights. Make people experts in the field of crime. Enable them to reach greater heights. Teach them to be respectful. If people are capable and they get the support of their leaders, they can respectfully disagree with things that happen on the streets. Disagreement, questioning things, offering alternatives - it's all stuff that happens where people join and live together. Funny enough, it's hardly anywhere to be seen in this community. Either people hide their ideas and opinions because they feel the climate wouldn't be inviting or people haven't been trained and encouraged to come out there.

Active streets are about the community caring enough to participate on that level. Leaders play a vital role in creating the landscape that encourages such activity. Active streets are a more longterm process than introducing Gladiator fights, but the route for realisation stays the same: Motivation, concept and commitment in execution.

"I like the way you think SteampunkMax."

Freddie had some thinking of his own to do. He wanted to experience the Streets in the same way that his ancestors had done before him. He knew he held some responsibility for making that a possibility, but ultimately whether it became reality or not, was largely down to the influence of the wider society. Was he prepared to accept that, or would he try to alter the course of the river? He wasn't sure at this stage. He knew many before him had pondered the same questions, and some had tried, so what was to say he would succeed whether others couldn't?

Freddie sat and went through the thoughts he had some more, and lit another cigar. 

"Ghost, you've been quiet my friend. What do you think?"

Ghost finishes listening to the short conversation that Freddie and Max had, and chimed in when offered an opportunity by Freddie.

Please allow me to add some thoughts of my own in parts based on the major topics you hit upon.  First, do we actually need a wholesale change?  Answering this question presents a subtle, but obvious question.  What is would our streets look like ideally?  If our streets have a specific ideal associated with them, and that ideal doesn't match where we are today, then we obviously have something to strive for.  I don't think an ideal is absolutely achievable, but its certainly something to aim for.

With that in mind, I think we're missing the mark compared to the ideal.  The ideal in my opinion is a diversity of discussions and retelling of events that are based on current events as well as a true engagement from all walks of live in this thing of ours.  Max brought up an excellent point when he briefly mentioned that a person's reputation and presence carries a different weight now.  If we were truly talking about the reason that we're not comfortable with where we stand, I think we could point to a gradual move away from speaking in the streets. 

Consider these two examples as two ways we've changed the weight that someone's reputation has in this thing of ours. 

Ghost briefly looks at Freddie and Max to make sure he has their attention.

First, what is the meaning of earning a button with respect to relative public position in this thing of ours?  Does a person feel the need to strike a balance between heir private efforts for your associated family and your public persona?  I would safely say that your reputation and spoken word have less meaning today when compared to before.  I am not questioning whether people are worthy of their button, but I would suggest that it isn't tied to their public persona to the same extent as perhaps it did in historical times.  This is just a change what we perceive as being acceptable.

Another example to consider... when we talk about someone leading a family, we often do not see them announce themselves in the streets.  In much more violent times in our history, this was considered an offense to the community that resulted in death.  Today, it has become business as usual.  Personal salesmanship along with the nod to those who helped you achieve whatever it is that you have achieved were critical elements to announcing your rise in position within this thing of ours.  This is more optional than ever today.  This is also reflected in both the reaction of the other leaders, or lack thereof, as well how quickly people fresh off the boat will join anyone that they've done a job for and had a brief conversation with, without looking into their background.  Again, this isn't criticism of any particular group or individual, but me identifying where I believe the biggest changes in mindset are.

With those examples in mind, I'd say that we as a community have certainly changed.  With that in mind, I think the way to guide ourselves closer to what I perceive as the ideal is two pronged.  One, an individual should weigh the public interactions of a person when interacting with that person.  How a person does that and whether they choose to implement it is their own decision.  I don't dare tell other people when and how to make decisions or act, but I feel that there is value in this approach and as someone with a modicum of authority, I would personally implement this into my decision making.  Second, I would suggest that people take the initiative to be the change that they wish to see.  I'm personally going to do this, and I would suggest others do the same for obvious reasons.

Max and Freddie, do you two have any thoughts on what I just said, or do you feel that I'm way off base?

Freddie pondered what Ghost had had to say. It was interesting to hear about his take on how traditions had been somewhat lost. It was clear that the Streets were no longer valued as what they once where and Freddie wondered whether that could ever be reintroduced or even enforced. Whatever way he looked at the debate, it always came back to whether change was what society wanted or whether it was happy with the current version of things. He was very wary that the three may be going around in circles and wondered whether people walking by just saw them as three old stooges, harping on about the good ol' days.

Freddie decided to take a step back and take a look at what was going on. Was he blind to something, or did he just need to accept that this was they way things were? Perhaps society was a great river and he was always going to go where the current of that river pulled him. He wasn't sure.

Good things were certainly happening in the Streets - that was clear. Disorder and his panel of judges had engaged a great amount of interest in the X Factor competition. It would be interesting to see whether society would build upon that, or whether the eager discussions and debate it had started to create would move inwards once the immediate furoe had died down. TabithaGato was another one often out meeting and greeting the country's finest and then there were recent, and very public, spats that had come to the front as of late.

Freddie sighed. He wasn't sure. He turned to Ghost and offered a short response.

"Perhaps this is just what we make of it old friend. Perhaps it doesn't matter as long as those involved get what it is they seek. Who knows eh?"