The following Copyrighted article is printed with permission from the author,GabrielX of Lost Haven. The original article can be found here: www.losthaven.org

Our Paths And Our Community
Contributed by Gabriel

Our Paths And Our Community
I’d like to start off by speaking about what the path means in my own interpretation. I would also like to warn that in this section I would like to not paint a fantasy community of goodness and well being towards one another. I would be lying in my own opinion, it is my intention to show those entering into various communities the realities that are actually playing out in hopes of giving them a better understanding of what they should prepare themselves for and why things seem to act out in certain manners. That to a new person coming into our communities can become highly confusing.

First though I’d like to speak a little on the path that is different for everyone and at one time or another has a tendency to seem to be mirroring other’s paths that are walking with you, around you, or at a distance from you. The path to me determines the road you are heading on or of what you actually seek to obtain from others and from within yourself. Some could be on the path of self-enlightenment however see different roads on how to accomplish that paths goals. Some come to the communities in a way which it could be said that they just want to gain a name for themselves or possibly for some to feel special or unique. While others are wishing to be apart of something that they feel is larger then them and even still ones who yearn to find individuals they can consider to themselves as an extended family.

Along with these types of paths are the ones considered by most to be taboo. Yes even communities who are taboo from the general society can at times consider other things deeper and more taboo then themselves. What seems to be the normal taboo are ones who’s paths consist of being sexual predators who are seeking through the community looking for that fresh young individual who just came to the realization of this magical places existence, and then of course taking advantage of them. Taking advantage and also being taken advantage of in these communities seems to be a more common occurrence then a lot would like to admit to. Lets consider that apart of the deep dark underbelly of the community. On to the other paths that aren’t as taboo you can still find people looking for lovers, acquaintances, how about someone they may feel they were separated with from a long ago past life or the more annoying drama queens which tend to make a very good attempt at stirring up random problems to satisfy their own pleasures. Lets not forget the egomaniac and control individuals. I am not going to pretend I can sit here and list all of the people in the community and their paths.

The communities seem to be created with people from every walk of life on a path suited to them by their own personal choice or psychological make up. Much like you would find if you were to take a walk down the streets of a crowded city or take a stroll inside of a nightclub. The essential key is to be aware that just because our communities seem like a safe place doesn’t necessarily mean they truly are. With that knowledge in hand you can possibly understand things a bit better and prevent yourself from falling into traps others have laid out for you in hopes of their own personal means.

Individuals usually start on a path in the hopes of understanding themselves and the things they’ve either recently experienced or are trying to gain the knowledge to soon experience things for themselves in the ways others have written about them or spoken about them. To start on this journey people find themselves so fresh and new as a child looking into the sky while fireworks burst into amazing colors right before their eyes for the very first time. As that path of discovery continues while time slides by the mysterious things and bright colorful lights in the sky we were once so enthralled with starts to loose its texture our minds once gave it and starts to slip away from our grasp. It begins to become very difficult to remember where we started and whom we started as. Our skin gets tougher with time as well seeing the paths of others cross before us who have lost the fire in them that once drove them to seek with such passion and strength. We see ideology not only with others but within ourselves disappear and fade into the mist.

With that those new ones coming to us with their eyes gleaming and looking into the stars for those bright bursting lights and wonderful colors we once could say were so amazing and new to us begin to get their fires that burn inside them extinguished even quicker then ours may have. By the ones who carry the jaded feeling effects the new ones who come into our community in such a way most don’t even realize what they’ve done to the individual. We’ve been there, we’ve done that and our acceptance of people wishing to seek out what a gut feeling is inside them screaming for them to is dwindling.

Most of the seekers of today are so starved for information and knowledge that they take the first spoon that feeds. The first individual who extends their hand to them and gives them that little bit of hope in him or herself to actually continue seeking for what they want. Given that of course they listen, and they learn even if it’s from a predator with a crooked smile. This begins to create sometimes people that we really don’t wish to associate ourselves or anyone else with. Maybe this will create amusing individuals or really devastated and harmed individuals. A lot of the jaded nature from spending massive amounts of time within the community can create some awful things happening to the newer ones in the community given the fact none of us were there to show them any different or tell them not all ways are the same and that they are an individual in their own right and they are most certainly allowed to make decisions and theories themselves without having to join into a group, house, or worse cult. A lot in the community has become less and less accepting to anyone, and more hostile to one another who are already apart of the community. Give this nature the community may slowly fall apart and eat into itself leaving new and old in its wake. Or just create a hostile environment that may be interesting at first but will really get old quickly.

All the things I write on this subject are not to make the community out to be a horrible dark evil place. Because not only with the bad things that are involved there are a lot of good outspoken individuals willing to stop their day to day lives to help new comers out. There are a lot of things to be seen and experienced that is absolutely eye opening within our communities. This is however here to address things that seem to not get as addressed within our communities compared to the good things that we do accomplish. The things that I am attempting to bring forth may or may not be food for thought to you.

If you are new understand that the communities that you walk into aren’t just a fuzzy recreation of a television series. As these are the things that help jaded natures set in. These aren’t communities for you to flock to because you just saw the latest movie and want to claim you are something. However if you just saw the latest movie and want to learn about us I am sure you will find people very open with thoughts and knowledge on whatever that subject matter may be. Also understand you will take you learning lumps on the path of gaining knowledge but always keep an open mind and never try to make anything a set belief. If you do, understand it’s only yours and people will attack it due to not sharing that same belief which should be expected and welcomed. It can be a good thing to have your beliefs or thoughts questioned because in return you will either destroy or solidify what you’ve gained so far and what you’ve learned. This is criticism that you will hopefully learn to hold dear to your heart while being on your path. While just starting out in the communities make an effort not to immediately criticize other’s beliefs or thoughts. Instead question everything they have to offer not rudely but polite. You may seek knowledge and questions should be one of your processes of obtaining it.

Understand if you come to the communities to learn about yourself or others it won’t be as simplistic as you may expect depending on you as a person. Keep an open mind, an open soul but do know others may attempt to take advantage of you. Understanding this may give you a leg up and help you along your own personal path of whatever discoveries may lay in store for you.

As for the older ones within the community something you may have also found is by new ones coming into our communities and when we actually do take up the time to sit and speak with them and teach what we’ve already known for sometime now, it can really breath a fresh new life into us. It at times is very exciting to go back and help them from the beginning as it helps us remember from where it was we started. Not to mention gives us a chance to see the beautiful colors in the sky we may have forgotten about.

This is the picture that we paint; not just one of us. So please add your brush to the colors we share and help in turning our picture of a community into a masterpiece with your own thoughts, fireworks and trivial nature. Our communities happen to be our family, and just like families in our daily lives we may all not get along or like one another. Even if we may still have crazy uncle bob hanging off of a chandelier being a fruit bat, family’s family and we’d like you to be apart of it.

© 2006 Gabriel of Lost Haven