I have been travelling recently, to meet clan mates that live nearby and to listen to *stories*. The response has been... sporadic, unfortunately. Some places are better than others... but still, it's like a part of their nature has been forgotten. They are stunned silent when a visitor wishes a simple gathering, and ignores all the titles and honor and prestige and positions and adjectives they throw at him.
I can't learn anything from your adjectives. I don't become a wiser Gangrel with your adjectives. And when I go farther, or return home, clan circles are not interested in hearing adjectives.
We want the tales behind those adjectives. We want stories to hear, and take with us, and share.
So it brings a sense of satisfaction to see *stories* offered, rather than opinions. And to see *stories* offered in *thanks*, rather than silence. This is how we were *taught*. This is how we *learn*.
So, to hopefully *encourage* this... a short story on perspective.
There was a small zoo once. This zoo only had one cage with one monkey. This monkey was tended by one zookeeper, who had his one little zookeeper shack. Everyday, the zookeeper would come out of his shack, and toss some fresh bananas into the cage. Everyday, the monkey would come out of his little enclosure, and run out into the open cage, eating the bananas and waving to all the passers by.
One day, the zookeeper threw out the bananas into the cage, and the monkey came out of the enclosure to wave at the passers by and eat his bananas. Then, with a greying of the sky and a gust of warm wind, a wet heavy rain started coming down onboth. The zookeeper jogged into the building to get dry, but the monkey remained out in the downpour, soaked and happily eating his bananas.
"Look at the poor animal," thought the zookeeper, "It doesn't know enough to get under some shelter."
"Look at the poor man," thought the monkey, "Scared of a little rain."