A couple of weeks ago I started watching one of my favorite TV series of all times: One Piece. zCasting 3000 is the thing that I spend many hours building. How is this place going to be like? I recalled One Piece that I used to watch when I was 17 or so. What I liked about One Piece was not just the story, but the way the main character, Monkey D. Luffy, approaches his goal of becoming the king of pirates.
A repeating pattern in this series is that people keep telling the not-yet king of pirates that reaching his goal is impossible, out of reach, that he should stop trying. The way this is pictured is very repetitive. You simply get it after while.
And yet, Monkey's only reaction to well meant advice and doubts like this is: a smile, a laugh, and then he says "I'll see the problems when I get there."
He emanates a certain calmness that's just attractive. He's young, like a kid, who has a crazy idea -- an idea not very well thought through. What you soon realize that it's actually the opposite, he has thought about his career choice very well and he is aware that he has to kick everybody's butt if he wants to become king of pirates.
In one episode he says:
"If you don't want the negative reputation, you shouldn't be a pirate"
~Monkey D. Luffy
Of course this is all idealized and it's just a TV show, but why not be idealistic about personal goals? Rather than being stuck in the current, one can also just live as if the goal was reached already.
And that's why I'm a fan of Monkey. Not just because of that. There are other "values" this show embodies, that I can identify myself with. Monkey is light hearted, he's loving, he's down to earth, and he's got his shit together.
These are the reasons why I let a comic figure decorate my Twitter profile and this blog.