Editor’s Note: Originally written on 8/21/1995, found in my notes while cleaning.  

I used to write as a character of mine (from an older AD&D campaign) who was a monk from an order that revered Cows, the Royal Order of Moo.  We started the campaign after we had formed the Order (a story or later) and thought it would be fun to play as the Priests of Minos, the Renewer.  We played several games that were far more comical than serious as these characters.  

I know, it is odd, but I spent time writing as this character and I found that my younger self had a small amount of wisdom when he wrote as Brother Fred. I have often wished I could speak to him and give him advice about his future. It seems, however, that it will be the other way.  I only hope I can understand and listen to that man as he speaks to me now.

I hope you enjoy this series of writings by Brother Fred, Priest of Minos.  They are verbatim from the handwritten text, with minor grammar or spelling fixes.  

Things are not always fun, new, or even in motion.  Sometimes things are stagnating.  Stagnation makes it difficult to grow and change for the better. When you experience stagnation, you begin to wonder whether life is worth it and whether you should even go on living, and so on.  It becomes difficult to get up in the morning because you don’t have anywhere you want to go. You can see a long drawn-out boring existence ahead of you with no where to go and nothing to do.  Ever.  Life just sucks.

It can take a lot to break free from a hellhole existence like that.  Chains with a foot thick links and in industrial strength winch can’t move the one who doesn’t care to live.

But there is a universal motivator that is always hidden from view.  It takes a unique event to show its light.  A nice dinner with a friend.  A sentence in a book you’ve read a hundred times.  Your spouse says something that you suddenly hear for the first time.  You see a child playing with her toys.

And then you know that in order for you to end the stagnation you have to  do something. Drain the swamp. Don’t just sit there feeling sorry for yourself,  Because the hole you dug for yourself is deep enough now that you will have to climb.  And if you must keep digging, dig footholds and get out.

All you have to do is move, and the stagnation ends.

Brother Fred.

Moo.