User:GreenReaper/On Making History

''I wrote this as a submission for the Anthrocon 2006 con book (page 18). It's the topic that sprung into my head when I read the guide - "heck, anyone can make history, if they try!". Comments/suggestions welcome on the discussion page.'' --

On Making History
Well done - you made it to Anthrocon! Hopefully by now you’ve had the chance to check in and drop off your luggage, and are ready to get down to the serious business of having the best time of your life.

For some of you this will be your first convention. You’re going to love it – just don’t forget to eat and sleep! It’s hard, I know. There’s so much to do! The programs, the art show, the disco, and much, much more. ..

. . . and, of course, there are the people we come here to see, to talk, and to listen to. I don’t have to name names – besides, most of them are already within this book. They are the ones hosting the panels, selling the wares, and running Anthrocon itself. They are the ones we look up to. They are the ones who make history.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: These people are just like you.

You heard me right. There’s nothing magic about it. Everyone has the potential to be a star – including you. If you choose to, through your actions, you can be one of these people. You can make history.

History isn’t made in a day, of course. A good story is rarely the work of a few minutes. Websites don’t spring up overnight – at least, not the ones people want to visit. A skilled artist’s grasp of anatomy is only obtained through close observation and ceaseless practice. Conventions take long hours of planning over many months to organize. All worthwhile things take time to achieve; some take a lifetime to master.

But a year is a long time! If you start now, you could achieve a lot. Maybe there’s a hole in the fandom – one that only you could fill. Choose something, stick to it for a couple of months, and see how you go. Remember, you don’t have to be the best artist, or the most literate writer. You just need to get a little better every day.

Still stuck for ideas? That’s what the programming is for! Find something interesting and run with it. Failing that, just about anyone can run a local furmeet, administer a mailing list, or help out at a con. Give it a try.

Maybe you’re thinking you don’t have time. Trust me: when you’ve found the right thing, you’ll make time. The reason the people we respect seem so driven is that they love what they do; maybe not every minute of every day, but enough to make it something special to them. There is something like that out there for you.

The con’s on now, so enjoy yourself. Just remember – next year, the person making history could be you.