I just finished reading AWoM and it occurred to me how much Young Wizards can be (and in my case, was/is) a great theory for ethical living. I realized that YW has, because I picked up SYWTBAW in elementary school or middle school and kept reading from there, quietly shaped who I am and how I think in relation to the world around me. I, with a slight grin, call myself a wizard now not because I can pull off the literal magic described in the books (the existence of which is technically debatable, but that's for another topic) but because I have a wizard's mindset in regards to life (at least as how I see it): don't lie, help others, sacrifice when necessary, and do everything you can to make the world better one piece at a time. Now, granted, this is my interpretation of things, so your mileage may very and I may be crazy. Although, as the Billy Joel song says: "You may be right, I may be crazy, but it just may be a lunatic you're looking for".
Upon reflecting on all of the YW thoughts, I came to the conclusion that, for me, So You Want to Be A Wizard WAS the manual, just like it was for Nita. It wasn't a manual like hers in the sense that hers allowed her to physically perform magic, but it's still a manual -- an introduction to a concept of decency and ideals that can be practiced by anyone, as long as they're willing to see and accept it. The later books, like how the manual expands as the wizard's knowledge does, expand on the concepts and introduce new ideas (like the shades of grey in the fight against "evil" concept at the end of WoM).
On to the reason for the post title. I noticed in wandering around the boards that many here are like me. We picked up YW at an earlyish age (for me, and many others from what I can tell, it was about 12 or 13, which is the age listed in the manual as the wizardly starting age) and have stayed with it until adulthood. Many others have probably discarded the books as they age, calling them "childish". I would argue that those of us that have stuck with the books are the first batch of "senior" wizards. We've taken the ideals to heart and use them in the world at large, picking up folks along the way who think the same way we do and helping them use their knowledge and skills to help make the world a better place. Those that have discarded the books are like the people the manual talks about who have discarded Wizardry because they no longer believe in it. Granted, people like us have existed since the dawn of time, so we technically aren't the first ones to do what we do, but we've taken YW to heart. It's a different way to approach the same thing, essentially. I say we're the first or second group of "seniors" because the books have been out long enough that some folks still with the books could theoretically be 30, although from what I've seen, most of us "older folks" are 18-24, although that could also be because we're the oldest ones still wandering around forums.
I feel like this isn't entirely coherent, so I apologize if it's a bit confusing, and someone's probably said this before, so I apologize for the potential repeat, but discussion/expansion of the idea would be nice. Anyone else feel this way?
Upon reflecting on all of the YW thoughts, I came to the conclusion that, for me, So You Want to Be A Wizard WAS the manual, just like it was for Nita. It wasn't a manual like hers in the sense that hers allowed her to physically perform magic, but it's still a manual -- an introduction to a concept of decency and ideals that can be practiced by anyone, as long as they're willing to see and accept it. The later books, like how the manual expands as the wizard's knowledge does, expand on the concepts and introduce new ideas (like the shades of grey in the fight against "evil" concept at the end of WoM).
On to the reason for the post title. I noticed in wandering around the boards that many here are like me. We picked up YW at an earlyish age (for me, and many others from what I can tell, it was about 12 or 13, which is the age listed in the manual as the wizardly starting age) and have stayed with it until adulthood. Many others have probably discarded the books as they age, calling them "childish". I would argue that those of us that have stuck with the books are the first batch of "senior" wizards. We've taken the ideals to heart and use them in the world at large, picking up folks along the way who think the same way we do and helping them use their knowledge and skills to help make the world a better place. Those that have discarded the books are like the people the manual talks about who have discarded Wizardry because they no longer believe in it. Granted, people like us have existed since the dawn of time, so we technically aren't the first ones to do what we do, but we've taken YW to heart. It's a different way to approach the same thing, essentially. I say we're the first or second group of "seniors" because the books have been out long enough that some folks still with the books could theoretically be 30, although from what I've seen, most of us "older folks" are 18-24, although that could also be because we're the oldest ones still wandering around forums.
I feel like this isn't entirely coherent, so I apologize if it's a bit confusing, and someone's probably said this before, so I apologize for the potential repeat, but discussion/expansion of the idea would be nice. Anyone else feel this way?
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