6 Days...
6 Days until the Dragon rears it's 40,000-toothed maw and bathes many of my friends and I in it's fiery breath of 60 and 80 hours of work in 5 days.
Yes, I enjoy D*C. For 49 weeks out of the year, I look forward to the event which many have dubbed the "Hell Ride". The week before, the week of, and the week after are the only weeks of the year to which I look upon this event with trepidation, rue, or distaste. Looking back, I realize that the only reason that I have those particular emotions is being in the middle of the storm, so to speak. Leading up, everything is a whirlwind of "Is this ready?" or "Is this covered?". Eventhough I'm not what I would call a higher up on the Security staff where I volunteer, I still innately try and plan for contingencies and other problems that I foresee and missing something really frustrates me. At the time, I see it as "I should've anticipated and planned for that scenario", eventhough no one can cover them all...
This weekend will be spent helping on the paperwork side of this as best I can, even if it means getting coffee and other "gofer" items for my wife. I will begin a preliminary list of items to pack and will swear up and down that I will take time to relax, wear my kilt and boots, and all that other stuff. I will be very sincere in saying these things, making these plans, but, in the end, the kilt and boots will likely stay here and jeans, BDUs, tshirts, and comfortable boots will be packed and taken instead.
Does all of this forlorn prose mean that I won't have fun while I'm there? Of course not. This 'Con is the only opportunity I have to see some people that I've known for years. It's the one chance a year I have to hang out with some of them, working or not. Yes, I'll run myself ragged. Yes, I'll hurt every night after working 12 plus hours. Yes, during quiet alone moments, I'll bitch about the people and lament about not doing the things I want to do. No, I won't mean a single, solitary word of it.
I get asked a great deal why I do what I do be it at DC, Frolicon, ConNooga or any other 'Con/Party/Event that I've worked. I used to like to say it was because I didn't trust anyone else to do the job the way I could, but I realized that that's a pretty arrogant statement, especially in this area where there are many who have more experience. I think, the more I have examined it, that I like having the responsibility. I like having people look to me to solve a problem, or, at least, be part of the solution. Don't mistake me here. In this instance, power doesn't mean much of anything. It means that people who have been placed above me feel that I know enough to tell a smaller group of others what to do so that the job gets done. Is this actually the case? I'd like to think so. I'd like to think that if I make a mistake, it's discussed with me and I am explained the better method(s), which has happened. More importantly, I'd like to think that if I wasn't doing it right, I'd be replaced, regardless of how many insane hours I've worked.
And to all this, I say "Let the Hell Ride begin!"
Until next time, Gods, Friends, Family, Strength
4x is out....