Too much to say, too much to write, and I am not yet collected enough to come up with a decent entry. Consider this a draft of sorts. I feel that I cannot let the weekend pass without expressing the pure emotion I feel now that the battle is over.
I do agree with all that Cathy expressed in "Worth Every Paint Stain." You bet. I do not regret washing my hands in paint thinner and acetone, carrying spears, shin guards, shields, and other material in the pouring rain, cutting and pasting, paper-mache-ing, stapling silver foil to spears, measuring shin guards, poking holes, inserting garter, staying late, waking up earlier, looking like a complete paint-stained, bulky-stuff-bearing idiot, everything was worth it. So people stared, so I looked weird, I emerged victorious in the end.
I am so thankful for this wonderful experience, for every moment leading up to it, and every moment spent during the battle itself. I can verily say that I loved it. And that's something. I don't often use that word and use it with such ferocity.
I cannot claim to be as committed to the project as several other Thebans. On retrospect, I feel that I had not always prioritized it over my other engagements and I feel bad that I was not always able to give 100% to the project in the early stages. I apologize for not being as dedicated and committed as I should have been.
It was an amazing honor to be assigned as a part of the "core" group of armor-makers, even if it was just for shin-guards. In my defense, I believe that shin guards are important although the armor master did say that they are the easiest to make. I didn't do a perfect job with the shin guards, but I tried not to make them complete shit. And in a way, I guess I endured almost the same indignities as those forming helmets or fitting chest pieces. I mean, it can be very humbling to ask boys and girls (who were not really my close friends then) to "raise up their pants." (shudder) Anyway. It was an honor to be considered part of the "heads" of armor somehow.
I apologize to all my groupmates for being such an insupportable bitch every practice. To the guys I slapped, punched, yelled at, annoyed, irritated, exasperated, frustrated, stabbed, nagged, threw scissors at, bossed around, hit, injured (physicall and verbally), I am sorry. I am not one for self-control and I usuall spew out unnecessary profanities just to express myself. I'm sorry if I lashed out at anyone unjustly or if I damaged you in anyway. And sorry to some of you if I damaged your armor. Sorry to my diad partner Mayenne for putting up with my ineptness in battle. Like I said, self-restraint is not my forte. But I apologize now as sincerely as I am capable of. I know that there is still room for improvement in this cold, arrogant personality of mine and hubris-full though I may be, I am also still open to change and the betterment of my character.
And I thank everyone for putting up with the strangeness that was the paean. I helped write that and I just have to say I wrote "And the sky will be blackened with their funeral pyres, the fields will be drenched with our enemies blood, to all the Gods of Olympus we pray, that no Theban foe shall live beyond this day." Sorry if it freaked you out. And thanks for saying "Annihilate, Exterminate, Decimate, and Slaughter" with such ferocity. If anything, allow me to brag, our paean probably had the best vocabulary.
And one of the greatest and most unexpected honors I felt towards the end was getting the opportunity to be a "strategos" for one command. Thank you to the polemarch and other true "strategoi"!!!! It was an honor to yell "Thebans, Cavalry! Defense against Cavalry, NOW!!!" I really felt so happy and proud and just plain wonderful. Thank you, thank you. I tried to be as macho as possible but inside I was squealing like a fangirl.
And to EVERY member of the sacred band, it was a great honor to work with such a wonderful, responsible, industrious, creative, and dedicated group of people. Such caliber of character is hard to find. I feel simply privileged to have been among you these past months. I love you all.
This turned out to be an opportunity to truly bond with my block mates (with whom I never really hung out because I'm such a loner), my other course mates, and with a few History Majors, as well. I learned a lot about them and about my self and somehow we were able to sort out some of our differences. And nothing beats Seph serenading you while you make swords.
Thank you all for being so amazing. Thank you to the leaders who never wavered in your devotion and dedication to the project. I really admired how much you gave for this battle. Your energy, OC-ness, Chrome-ness, Corniness, and unfaltering desire to win really inspired me to try and become even 25% as committed as you guys. You were all amazing and I give you a very grateful and respectful salute!

And of course, kudos and thanks to my faithful (?) wife, :icon:catskullcollector:icon: ! You pwn, love! Arete!

The eve of the battle was a tumultuous one to say the least, and that doesn't include the intense 8-hour practice we had (14:30-22:30!). I'm sure that many of you can relate to the idea that not all our family members understood just how important this is for us. And so of course, to say the least, there was friction either the night before or the morning itself. There were tears, there were screams, there was emotional agony. But all this turmoil was washed away when we began to suit up for the battle. And though the dents remain, I still would not have traded the experience for any other. After all, the best moments in life are those where the the whole gamut of human emotion was invested.
(So much for draft, I guess I left coherence and conciseness to the winds, AERA, so overcome with emotion was I. I hope I did not leave anything important unsaid).
'Tis a bittersweet end. Now that that which we had devoted so much of ourselves has officially concluded, (this is not being overdramatic), I feel that part of me has died. I'm actually going to miss going to Macci or Leong Hall or wherever for practice after class. Strange as it seems, having my free time back seems really empty. It's bittersweet to think that there is no other BIG event like this to look forward to for the rest of the semester (although it is ending). Everything that follows seems rather anti-climactic.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow."
Mais, c'est la vie. Pero es la vida. Aber das ist leben.
Theban Sacred Band, Thank You and I love you all.
One final word to describe the battle: GLORIOUS.