The role of the Do-Gooder is not what actors call a fat part.

Margaret Halsey, The Folks at Home, 1952

Got a big kick out of this quote. I want more Do-Gooders where I live. My family is so uninvolved. So am I...up to this point.

When I was a teenager, I knew that I had been born in the wrong time. I wanted to be Joan of Arc. Not from a religious POV, but more from a POV based on the certainty that what you were doing was RIGHT. I wanted to believe something so strongly that I would willingly die for my beliefs. As a teenager, I could not come up with those types of beliefs. I felt that I was lacking intensity. Life (through my teenage eyes) seemed more complex (and therefore, boring) than it was in the Joan of Arc days. In the "olden days", life was more Black & White. Clear cut. Not ambiguous.

I guess that was the appeal of Fantasy Sci-Fi. The Bad were really rotten and The Good were truly honorable. RPG computer games also "hit" that same place in me. I played my characters with honor, integrity...all that hero stuff. When there was a selection allowed as to type of character (Fighter, Mage, Cleric, Paladin,Thief, etc.), I usually selected the Paladin (part fighter/part cleric). I would sacrifice all the more powerful, magical, offensive spells because your character would have to follow the Darker Paths to be able to use those spells. I always choice the Paths of Light. I never played the thief. I hated to spend time skulking around the monsters trying to steal what was needed. I preferred the frontal, direct attack. Go in, kill the monsters and save the world (don't forget the gold - necessary to pay for training and better equipment).

I guess the public got tired of these one-dimensional games. The Ultima series started to create moral dilemmas...damned if you do and damned if you don't. I hated to have to choose the lesser of two evils. The games ceased to be fun. This was the beginning of the end of my romance with the RPG genre. I do not want real life type of entertainment. I want to experience life as though it were Black & White. Clear cut. Not ambiguous.

For a few years, I played other RPG games. The Sierra series was fun. I can't remember the titles but the play was a little clunky and the character definitely cartoonish. I did not "identify" with the character and so, could sneak around and try to get what was needed. However, without the personal identification, the games just got to be about solving the puzzles, filling my inventory slots and figuring out how to use the "clues" I had picked up along the way. YAWN.

I tried games like Sim Life. My characters drove me crazy. I had to direct them to use the toilet, wash their hands, bathe, and clean up after themselves. This was way too much reality for me...how can anyone enjoy this? I gather a huge amount must based on the sequels, add-ons, etc. that I see in the store. There is a thread in the game that I find worrisome, though. You "win" the game by keeping your characters happy. You do that by buying more and more, then better and better "stuff". The more you have, the more friends want to come to your house and play. The more friends you have (bought), the happier you become. Wow...scary stuff.

Anyway, my thread in this post is Do-Gooders. This triggered memories for me. It still does. People have gotten irritated at me because they feel I view life from a simplistic and naive POV. That I cannot understand their problems and any suggestions I make are just too simple to work in the real world. I have had a hard time accepting their POV. However, I have to admit, this post definitely demonstrates my desire for a simple solution. In my heart, I do believe that life in simple. Huh?

As my cast of characters flow through my mind, a pattern emerges. The people who see my approach as simple and naive have higher challenge scores (both A's and B's). Of course. This makes sense. The higher the challenge score, the more the self-image is threatened by failure. Since my challenge score is so low, failure is not a scary thing. I don't like to fail, but the fear of failure will not stop me from taking action. What might stop me from taking action:

the fear of looking stupid or incompetent, maybe the fear of conformity, maybe

There are many less significant fears (boredom, inactivity, indecision, losing, etc.). However, these fears rarely stop me in my tracks. They can sneak up, though, if I am not paying attention OR focusing my attention in the wrong direction.

I just had a flash! My desire for the "Joan of Arc" days is probably based on my need to take action (but it has to be the right action cuz I don't want to look stupid). Hmm, obviously if life were Black & White. Clear cut. Not ambiguous, then I would not have to weigh my actions, think things through carefully, and sometimes choose between the lesser of two Junk places! Ain't Life Grand?