I remember well, Mortals, how my seven Wizardly superiors, the Grand High Istari, first challenged me to take on this crazy job. They warned me that New York City would be jam-packed with all sorts of interesting strange beings, the majority of whom would do anything and everything to prevent me from fulfilling my mission: to remind the Mortalfolk of ye Byg Appyl that Imagination MUST be safeguarded, defended and cherished, else the populace herein shall be doomed to a life forever dominated by the forces of doubt.
2010, Mortal-reckoning may not be over just yet for another two months, dearests, but as far as your humble Dragonmaster's concerned, the verdict's already in: More disappointments, more traumae! At least, the one way I was properly able to cope with the horrors of all these disappointments was by making a documentary movie starring yours truly ---
Quite an Imagination: The Story of New York's Unofficial Wizard! Now, that movie will film its final major sequence at this Sunday night's
Greenwich Village Halloween Parade (assuming that I can make it down there) --- and then our director-cinematographer, Stephen Steinberg, our editor, Otis Harris, and yours truly, will begin a mammoth six-month post-production phase --- in between which, I also have to put up with people coming in and out of my damn apartment so that they can replaster and repaint all the walls of the place, including (dammit!) my bloomin' bedchambers!
Frankly, kids, I'm starting to run out of stamina here. When you're a Wizard who has made the commitment to kicking ass in the name of the City, County and State of New York on a 24/7/365 basis, the one problem you don't expect to deal with is what it can cost you in physical terms. You're overtaxed, overtired, and frequently overannoyed until it reaches a point where you just can't bloody take it anymore! And lemme tell ya, I've come so dangerously close to that level over the years that now, I'm almost ready to collapse!
But, as ever, I don't like leaving things unfinished --- and once
Quite an Imagination is properly finished, edited and released, then and only then will I be free to declare my labors done .... in which case, I can only say, as ever:
Pray, stay ye tun'd!
Master Blackwolf
