Those Ties That Bind

As I worked and braided the leather many things not only came to mind but came to pass. Things that reminded me of Tribe and family and all that means. It was very .. apropos ... that I was weaving leather together to make it stronger.

A couple days ago I came to sit at the fires and saw Ina climbing over the top of her wagon to repair a tear in the leather. I asked her why she was doing this .. she said Oson was gone and there was no one else to do it.

Silken came to the stream today and said she had trouble with Shi. That he was moving too fast for her and that she thought of him as a brother .. a friend and not as a mate. Now this is a problem .. or at least I would think it was a problem. Why had she not spoken of this and asked someone to intercede for her? She said it was not my problem .. nor was it Tarra's problem or Falon's problem or Cana's problem.

I have heard words spoken lately. Many words. Words about prospects and family and about what it means to be of the First Wagons. That First Wagon Tuchuk are no different than last wagon Tuchuk. That First Wagon Tuchuk are Family .. with a capital F. How is it that people forget their own words so quickly? How is it that it can mean one thing without the flip side of the coin also being part of the coin?

Yes .. the First wagon Tuchuk are no different than the last wagon Tuchuk. They are simply a family. Brought together by the Ubar as a family to work together .. play together and to be leaders and Elders of the Tribe. Are they different? No. Are they better? No. Does the rest of the Tribe serve them? No. The First Wagons serve the rest of the Tribe. The First Wagons are the organizers .. the overseers ... the ones responsible for keeping peace and making sure that this great nation of people keeps moving and functioning. Some might see the First Wagons as a type of royalty. I do not. I see them as the ministers .. the ones working and filling in the gaps to ensure a better way of life for everyone. You do not need special blood to be of the First Wagons .. you just need to have a drive to be family.

So what does it mean to be family? This from a man who has never had one? Well to me it is about being there for one another. Not always getting along and rarely even liking each other .. but still being there for each other no matter how you feel. When there is a problem .. working it out or doing your best to do so. Some wonder why I allowed T'zuri to be part of the First Wagons when she had trouble with Tarra and with Kam. My answer to that .. should anyone have the balls to ask me instead of just bitching ... is that T'zuri showed in all things she was willing to work to get along. Even when she did not get it right at first.. She was willing to go out of her way to make things right after. She was willing to apologize when she was wrong .. she was willing to learn a new view when she did not think she was wrong and respect an Elder even if she did not think they were right. She never bad mouthed .. she returned to try again and again to make things work. Never once did she by word or deed try to tear the group of us apart or separate by ideas or to cause gossip or rumor to do so. In fact she stuck up for those that spoke against her .. defended them in spite of their anger with her and her confusion and frustration with them. That is what it means to be family. Not being popular .. not being easy to get along with. If that were a requirement half the First Wagons would have to leave. It is all about trying to be there .. doing for each other no matter how you feel and what you think of that person's personality. Fighting for each member whether you like them or not. This is what it means to be Tuchuk .. even more so what it means to be of the First Wagons.

So whose responsibility was it to help Ina fix the tear in her wagon leather? Everyone's. Whose responsibility is it to make sure she has fresh meat and the bosk are taken care of while Oson is gone? Everyone's. Whose responsibility is it to care about Silken and to help her with what she needs to do and where she needs to go? Everyone's. Whose responsibility is it to help Sakmeta with her family and their needs and her time constraints that take her away from the First Fires sometimes? Everyone's.

Chay asked me how many times we remind those of our family that we are there for them when they do not listen. My answer is ... as long as we are family. It never stops.

No the First Wagon Tuchuk are not better than any other Tuchuk. First Wagon Tuchuk are those interested in getting braided together for better or worse as a family interested in the betterment of the Tuchuk as a Tribe over their own personal gain... and all that whether they like each other or not.