Writer’s Note: This piece was written from a highly controversial viewpoint which some will find offensive. The opinions expressed by this person do not represent those of the site as a whole. With that said, enjoy the read!
I consider myself somewhat of a wanderer. Throughout my life, I’ve drifted from one oddball hobby to another. When I was but a child, I used to raise and collect butterflies. Later on, much to the dismay of my parents, I developed a case of pyromania. Thank God this and other habits have long since passed, but others such as gaming have pervaded throughout the years. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting idly on the couch, watching my brother play his Super Nintendo.
I remember the first time I played a Zelda game. It was 1997 and my brother had come home from the videogame store as he usually did after the holidays. This time, he was carrying a game with him titled The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I watched him play it for a few hours. Afterwards, I was somewhat intrigued. I’m not sure exactly when, but at some point during the week, I began playing it. I continued to progress through it on and off for the next few months until I finally beat it. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed. When stacked against games I had played prior, such as Chrono Trigger and Yoshi’s Island, I found what Zelda I had experienced to be rather uninspiring. This, however, was about to change.
Two years later, same time of year, the post-holiday rush brought another round of new games. This year was different than all others before. Sitting beside my brother’s Super Nintendo, and taking prominence over the television set was a sexy, black N64. Unfortunately, up until this point, I had been rather appalled by the bland experience that can only be described as Super Mario 64. In all honestly though, such grievances paled in comparison to the frustrations I experienced trying to operate one of the most awkward controllers ever devised by mankind. With few other alternatives, it was beginning to look like my life as a gamer was coming to an end. Just then, like a knight in shinning armor, it came. Its name: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Though I wasn’t exactly new to the series, I was less than certain about where the heck this game came from. The impression of its predecessor was so shallow, it took me a few years afterward to make the connection. I don’t remember exactly how the rest of the story goes, but I’m pretty sure once I started playing, I didn’t stop until my parents dragged me away from the TV set tooth and nail.
Today, Zelda is my favorite videogame series of all time. I owe it to Ocarina of Time for showing me the light. But I guess I’ve strayed long enough. It’s time to actually get to the topic at hand. My love for the series has brought me to this site and many others within the broader online community. In my earlier years, as opposed to a lot of the consistent members here and elsewhere, I spent my days doing other activities and only recently got involved with the community. In my short time here, I’ve seen a lot of good things and my fair share of bad. It’s time to talk about the bad.
I’ve seen and communicated with a lot of people who live bound to their prospective communities. Many of them have spent years upon years within the broader community. Grant it, they are generally timeline theorists, a fair proportion do specialize in other fields. As much as I admire and respect these people for their drive and commitment, I also feel rather disappointed by many of them. I was first introduced to these intellectuals through their writings. I can say with complete certainty I wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for them. They inspired me to do something I never thought I’d ever do- write for a Zelda site. Their driving force was great while it lasted, but now that has all but faded away, and I’ve come to an unpleasant realization: they’re jerks.
Not all of course, but a fair proportion have proven themselves to be lacking in social skills beyond their literary prowess. For me, this has been akin to discovering Santa Claus is a lie, or that the Emperor truly didn’t have clothes. It’s a little sad when I think about it. A lot of the writers I’m talking about never communicate with their readers, and if they do, it’s usually to scoff at one of them for questioning their views (even if questioned respectfully). I’m aware that we all are like snowflakes and come with our own attitude and personality, but some of these people behave in ways role models inherently shouldn’t.
I was raised on the idea that you listen to those who have something to say and respond with respect and dignity. That is in itself is the essence of professional writing. My expectations may sound a little high, but writing to the masses isn’t for the timid. You have to be able to understand that some will criticize you unfairly while others will likely make legitimate counterpoints to your arguments. Writing is about improving yourself just as much in a moral sense as it is in an intellectual sense.
The only way you can speak the minds of the people is to get off your high horse and realize that the only separation between us is our bodies. Hopefully one of you has read this by now and maybe, just maybe, has taken what I’ve said to heart. Let this stand as a warning to others as well. Never forget where you came from. We all start somewhere and no matter how good you “think” you get at something, you are as the rest of us are.
We have a thread devoted to this topic in our forums.
