So, being President has been super interesting and fun, you guys.
I just had a bunch of jumbled thoughts through my head, thinking about the last several months of my life in Atlasia. This place has pretty seriously dominated my time in a lot of ways, and not just for my term, but for the months preceding it as Duke and I worked through a campaign that certainly had its highs and lows. Looking back, Duke and I decided after October we would run together in February. We announced before New Years, and our platform was posted in the first few days of January. All things considered? That's a lot of time Duke and I have spent, worrying about and fretting about and raging about the game. It's now
July.
Hellish as it can be, I wouldn't take it back, I wouldn't trade it away. I learned a lot, I thought about a lot of things. I accomplished a lot, won a lot, lost a lot, and I just wanted to share whatever random thoughts I had as a "farewell address" of sorts, now that I will be stepping down tomorrow afternoon.
Atlasia works better when people who truly care about it are at the helm.This is a crazy awesome fact I learned only in the last few days courtesy of Yankee: The current Senate session will come to an end with the very incredible honor of being one of the most legislatively accomplished on record, roughly tied or very slightly behind the 31st Senate. I didn't give much thought to this, and what that meant, until last night, but then it dawned on me!
The 31st Senate is widely known amongst many of us of being the beginning of the rise of the "Class of 2009." Purple State, myself, Franzl, Yankee, all got our start around that time in the Senate, and the two Senate sessions that followed, were active and incredible Senates. Legislatively accomplished in just sheer number, yes, but also when we were having strong debates, too. (Go look up the original debate thread for the Atlasian National Healthcare program. It's great!)
That happened because we had a moment in Atlasian history where the stars aligned, and all sides of the game were working together, with people who were deep in trying to make it work. Myself, Yankee, Purple State, MaxQue, Fritz, all working together, spending an unhealthy amount of hours because we loved this game, aided by a President at the top (at that time, Bgwah, and then Lief) who were active through those times, getting involved in controversies, and the latter pushing the first real legislative agenda in years at that point.
It couldn't be clearer to me, now, what makes this game work so well, and what makes so many people I grew up here with miss the year of '09. The people elected then, and many of those same people now, are working together as hard as we can because we genuinely and sincerely care about making this game work. Workhorses, true and honest workhorses, are the folks that make this game better. Nix has, in many ways, reminded me of Purple State from way back when, and Yankee, Duke, Max, and I, were all working together just like the old days. I take no personal credit for this, because anyone can be a workhorse, anyone who cares about this game and wants to invest time in this game can make it work.
The game right now isn't fatally flawed, don't let anyone tell you that.
Have your heart be in it, and remember we're all human beings too.This game is truly at its best when the people involved are motivated to make it better and want to leave a positive and genuine legacy. This game is actively made worse by bickering, by an obsession to beat the other guy "just because." By personal rivalries, ego-stroking, and manipulative folks who are just here to play a character on the internet by picking on the "nerds."
If I want to leave any message behind, it's this: Be here because you really want to be. Don't participate in Atlasia when your heart isn't in the right place. Don't let grudges get the best of you and make you forget what we're supposed to be here for; nerdy, honest to goodness, fun and relaxation.
Many people have let this game get the best of them. Good and bad people. Downwithdaleft went on several crazed, nearly psychotic breakdowns before he disappeared, because the game got the best of him. Bgwah and I developed a rivalry that I wish had never happened, and both of us, in our own way, let the game get the best of us. Hagrid is a good guy, and I worry that the game is getting the best of him, too. Many people I've trusted in the past have turned around later and lied to me. Many people have come and gone because the game broke them, but always try to keep perspective.
Duke and I have been exasperated, by things and people, over the last few months, but always keep someone with you to make sure you have perspective. During many of my freakouts, Duke kept me grounded, and so did others. Don't let your head get so inflated that it carries you away. We're all just nerds here to nerd out.
Make your own kind of music, even if nobody else sings along.Being in the RPP was actually probably my favorite experience in my nearly five years here, if I had to pick. I wish it was under better circumstances, obviously. The "in the trenches" nature of those many months were dark, for all involved, but being invited into a strange family I didn't belong in was sketchy for awhile. But then,
everyone there made me feel like I belonged. Crazy, right?
If you believe in something, stick to it, and there will always be a home for you somewhere. You don't have to get ahead in this game by manipulating people, nor do you have to suffer being manipulated. You don't have to build yes-men surrounding yourself, you can be your own man and still get ahead if you give it the best you've got. Most importantly though, do everything you do for the
right reasons and you may just end up building some great bonds with people you never thought you'd create bonds with. When Duke and I ran against each other so long ago in June, 2009, it was vicious and looking back on the RPP board archives, he didn't like me much. But I grew up and eventually recognized what a cock we can all end up being sometimes, and now I consider him a close friend around these parts.
I guess I'm getting sappy, so I'll stop. Sorry if all of this comes off as sanctimonious, but after the last 7 month chapter of my life here has come to a close, this was the biggest thing I could think to share. I could've made a long rambling about the things I've accomplished or wished I could've accomplished, and yes, all of those things matter, but before I take my break from elected office, if I had the power to leave behind one legacy, it wouldn't be any piece of legislation or any victorious legal battle, it would be all of this, instead.
I hope Nix accomplishes many exciting things in this Presidency, and he will have my sword, and despite the close election, I hope we all give him the benefit of the doubt you may have! But don't drag yourself down into the mud. This game, like all things, can really hurt people, and worst of all, you can really damage people without even realizing you're doing it sometimes. We can compete, and have our fun, and get into some slapfights, even, from time to time, but real, true harm? We can all be above that, guys.
I had a great time being President of Atlasia, and I'm sure I'll run for something down the road again. Thanks for electing me, guys. I really enjoy being friends with everyone I am, around here, after the years I've been a part of this game, left, right, center, and upside down. I hope that's a trend we can start setting.
Now, all hail incoming-President Nix!
