I have been back at work at the pub for a few weeks now and life is beginning to resume, although not as we know it.
For the most part I have been keeping my head down and my hands clean. The social distancing restrictions are fairly straightforward to follow and most people understand the need for them. A few have grumbled about having to jump through hoops to get their tasty tap beer, but for now they do it anyway.
Things are going to be like this for a while, and even though restrictions have been reduced somewhat, the importance of looking out for one’s health has been driven home. Washing our hands and keeping our distance has gone a long way to curbing the spread of the virus in Australia, but there is still a long way to go before we can call this crisis over.
One of the best things about the lock downs is that I have been able to catch up on a lot of reading. I have started re-reading The Expanse by James S. A. Corey after finishing the television series. I liked that it doesn’t deviate too far from the source material and retains the majority of the hard science fiction aspects. I am also a fan of the narrative style of the books, jumping from character to character in twisting threads that eventually converge.
I have also powered through just over half of The Legend of Drizzt by R. A. Salvatore. I particularly enjoyed the character growth of Drizzt, and there is a particular passage from book six, The Halfling’s Gem, about respect that I particularly admire.
The key to it all, I believe, is respect.
When I was in Luskan with Wulfgar, we crossed through a tavern full of ruffians, men who used their fists and weapons on an almost daily basis. Yet, another friend of mine, Captain Deudermont of the Sea Sprite, often frequents such taverns, and rarely, very rarely, ever gets into so much as a verbal argument. Why is this? Why would a man such as Deudermont, obviously (as is shown by his dress and manner) a man of some wealth, and a man of respectable society, as well, not find himself immersed in brawls as regularly as the others? He often goes in alone, and stands quietly at the bar, but though he hardly says a word, he surely stands out among the more common patrons.
Is it fear that holds the ruffians from the man? Are they afraid that if they tangle with Deudermont, they will find retribution at the hands of his crew? Or has Deudermont simply brought with him such a reputation for ferocity as to scare off any potential challengers?
Neither, I say. Certainly the captain of the Sea Sprite must be a fine warrior, but that is no deterrent to the thugs of the taverns; indeed, the greatest fighting reputation only invites challenges among those folk. And though Deudermont’s crew is formidable, by all accounts, more powerful and connected men than he have been found dead in the gutters of Luskan.
No, what keeps Captain Deudermont safe is his ability to show respect for anyone he meets. He is a man of charm, who holds well his personal pride. He grants respect at the outset of a meeting and continues that respect until the person forfeits it. This is very different than the way most people view the world. Most people insist that respect has to be earned, and with many, I have come to observe, earning it is no easy task! Many, and I include Bruenor and Wulfgar in this group, demand that anyone desiring their friendship first earn their respect, and I can understand their point of view, and once believed that I held one similar.
On my journey south on the Sea Sprite, Captain Deudermont taught me better, made me realize, without ever uttering a word on the subject, that demanding of another that he earns your respect is, in of itself, an act of arrogance, a way of self-elevation, implying by its very nature that your respect is worth earning.
‘Part Two: Allies’, The Halfling’s Gem, R. A. Salvatore.
I feel that with all of the goings on in other parts of the world, mutual respect is all something we should try to remember and practice.