The stoner of the old Home Guard.

I use to believe Guy was the type of man who valued peace above everything else. Every time I saw his face I would immediately think back to that iconic image of a hippie holding a daisy whilst staring down the barrel of a gun. I assumed, as anyone might, that Guy was blissfully unaffected by the woes of the world, blinded by a veil of optimism that clung to his eyes more tightly than he did to his stash of marijuana. Chances are I was right back then, but oh how things have changed.

A few weeks back Guy was mugged whilst walking to the shops from The Plot. Several men took his money and cell phone before knocking him to the floor and beating him until they felt they had done significant damage. A fractured rib and a considerable amount of bruising later, a switch seemed to flick in Guys mind. Karma went out the window along with harmony and in a sense, logic as well.

I came to a personal understanding of the concept "once a fanatic, always a fanatic" today upon talking to Guy. I believe some people are programmed in such a way that they naturally obsess over things. It has relatively little to do with what they obsess over as the obsession itself can, with a nudge in the right direction, be replaced by another obsession in next to no time. One could sort of relate it to a drug addict - remove the drug of choice but if an addictive personality remains, there will be a substitute in no time. Guy's hippie ways stayed with him for such a long time because to let go of them would have been to let go of his core fanaticism and yet now, after being attacked, 56 years of belief in the greater good have disappeared.

"Violence and force are the only things that will get across to them" I was told by him whilst hanging up my washing outside this afternoon. He informed me that he had bought a "black powder gun" and that he was planning on buying several more firearms that did not require licenses. On top of that, there was mention of explosives and area patrols, punji sticks and ambushes - all in a bid to avenge his pride. I asked him whether he thought he might get his stuff back, but I was told it wasn't about his belongings anymore - it was personal. He was certain he remembered the men's faces and after some investigation, found out where they lived. I don't know his plan of action just yet, but I can only imagine that in this frame of mind, vengeance will indeed be his.

Fanatics will always find something to become frantic over. Be it peace or violence, it appears to take a relatively minor event to switch between the two polar opposites. I tend to wonder though, what do these minor events have to be directed towards to make a fanatic switch obsessions effectively? 

I'd love to open this up for discussion and get people's opinions on it. In the mean time, I'll be snooping, spying and making sure that every detail from The Plot ends up on here.

Sair

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