Secret societies. Fraternal orders. Self-selected cadres. Brotherhoods. Sisterhoods. These organizations need not be necessarily dark, illicit, political, or even rigid. But for them to survive and endure, members have to work as a unit and with complete selflessness. These groups come together to raise bars and nurture the next in line. It’s a deliberate and slow process, the passing on knowledge and accumulated experience. They’re not for those who need instant gratification or outside recognition. The goal is to do good work, not to be doing said good work only when cameras are rolling, or when a scribe wants to report on your humble origins or secret handshakes.
We’re here because someone once took the time. Mentored us. Challenged and dared us. If we made it from the dark into the light at all, it’s because others shared. And shared without a crowd watching, a desire for public adoration, or waiting for people to hit the Like button. Our trade continues only because sharing is part of its long tradition, and not some new concept that was invented after Y2K.
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