The Navigator By Cynus

[Cynus]

This is the first time I've linked to one of my stories through the forum, but I wanted to create a place for discussion on this one. Hope you enjoy it! 

 

 

[sharedmedia=stories:stories:4753]

 

[Valkyrie]

I'm really enjoying it so far. 

[Cynus]

I'm really enjoying it so far. 

Thanks, Valkyrie. I love the support it's been getting. 

 

I saw this article recently and it reminded me of another fate Silas could have eventually suffered. It's interesting the way the news can remind you of fiction, and it's awful how some fiction eventually comes true.

 

http://brodylevesque.blogspot.com/2014/04/facebook-status-outs-gay-scout-and.html

 

From the article:

 

"FLAGSTAFF -- For 19 year old Garrett Bryant, a Boy Scout since he was a small boy, summertime meant Boy Scout Camp and this summer, also a means to help pay for college- that is until a non gender specific 'relationship' status on Facebook forever altered his plans and his affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America.

Bryant who is gay, needed to keep that fact quiet due to his involvement with the BSA whose official policy is to bar openly gay men or women from serving in adult leadership positions.

The Arizona resident told LGBTQ Nation Tuesday that earlier this Spring he'd posted- in his words- a "gender neutral relationship status change" on his Facebook page, went to sleep and then realised hours later when he got up that while some of his immediate circle of close-knits friends knew of his sexual orientation, by necessity, he'd kept that secret as best as he could from his Scouting friends and leadership. He immediately logged on and saw one posted that read: " Awesome Man, who is he?" and another that said “Oh, good for you, man, what's his name?’” He says he deleted any posts that referenced his orientation and hoped that his scouting friends and BSA leadership hadn't seen the comments.

The first sign of trouble came when he called a friend to see about his application to work at BSA’s Camp Geronimo, located 90 miles northeast of Phoenix, where he had worked the previous summer. He said that instead of getting confirmation he was going to be employed again he was told he needed to speak with the camp's director.

On March 25th Bryant says that he was called by the Camp's Director and told that he wasn't not going to be offered the job- he was ineligible because of his personal choices. "I asked him what he meant by that and he said the homosexuality and then he [the director] referred to the Facebook posts."

Bryant, who has worked his way up through Scouting since he was a young boy achieving the rank of Eagle Scout says that being denied the job in an organization he loves is a crushing blow."

[Valkyrie]

It's so disheartening to hear of stories like this.  What a shame that an organization that this young man has devoted so much of his time and energy to doesn't support him.  I wonder when the Boy Scouts are going to wake up and join the 21st century!  I was a Girl Scout from the time I was a little kid up through high school and earned my Gold Award (equivalent of an Eagle Award).  I went to GS camp during the summer and worked there when I was old enough.  The camp director's girlfriend also worked for the GS, but I forget what her title was.  Most people didn't care, but there were a few who made disapproving comments and looks.  I can just imagine the uproar if it had been the Boy Scouts instead. 

[Cynus]

My own experience in scouting has taught me that while the organization may frown upon having those of us who are LGBT in their midst, the measures they take to prevent it hardly work. All it does is create an atmosphere of bigotry and hate, which, like many religions do, leads to the boys involved in the institution thinking that they are inferior, or that they are somehow wrong for being who they are. It's truly a shame.

I'm glad that you had the opportunity to be part of a much more open organization. The girl scouts have always seemed to be more forward thinking than the BSA, and hopefully one day the boys will catch up.

[JamesSavik]

Drake (Silas) reminds me a lot of myself years ago: He's so angry and distrustful that he's pushing everyone away- good, bad and indifferent.

 

He has too. He's in an extremely vulnerable position. If the system gets hold of him... that's not even a pretty thought.

 

I was doing some research for one of my novels and I ran across the Lost Boys of the LDS. Drake/Silas certianly isn't unique. To be as gung ho about family, the LDS sure does ditch a lot of kids.

 

I must confess a certain bias. A character named Rainer in Broken- the real life individual was LDS. You might say he left a lasting impression on me.

[drpaladin]

You certainly have to be able to look through the character's eyes to understand why they react the way they do. I can see the concept of family being an extreme trigger for Silas. He associates it with everything bad that has happened in his life.

[drpaladin]

 

Thanks, Valkyrie. I love the support it's been getting. 

 

I saw this article recently and it reminded me of another fate Silas could have eventually suffered. It's interesting the way the news can remind you of fiction, and it's awful how some fiction eventually comes true.

 

http://brodylevesque.blogspot.com/2014/04/facebook-status-outs-gay-scout-and.html

 

From the article:

 

"FLAGSTAFF -- For 19 year old Garrett Bryant, a Boy Scout since he was a small boy, summertime meant Boy Scout Camp and this summer, also a means to help pay for college- that is until a non gender specific 'relationship' status on Facebook forever altered his plans and his affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America.

Bryant who is gay, needed to keep that fact quiet due to his involvement with the BSA whose official policy is to bar openly gay men or women from serving in adult leadership positions.

The Arizona resident told LGBTQ Nation Tuesday that earlier this Spring he'd posted- in his words- a "gender neutral relationship status change" on his Facebook page, went to sleep and then realised hours later when he got up that while some of his immediate circle of close-knits friends knew of his sexual orientation, by necessity, he'd kept that secret as best as he could from his Scouting friends and leadership. He immediately logged on and saw one posted that read: " Awesome Man, who is he?" and another that said “Oh, good for you, man, what's his name?’” He says he deleted any posts that referenced his orientation and hoped that his scouting friends and BSA leadership hadn't seen the comments.

The first sign of trouble came when he called a friend to see about his application to work at BSA’s Camp Geronimo, located 90 miles northeast of Phoenix, where he had worked the previous summer. He said that instead of getting confirmation he was going to be employed again he was told he needed to speak with the camp's director.

On March 25th Bryant says that he was called by the Camp's Director and told that he wasn't not going to be offered the job- he was ineligible because of his personal choices. "I asked him what he meant by that and he said the homosexuality and then he [the director] referred to the Facebook posts."

Bryant, who has worked his way up through Scouting since he was a young boy achieving the rank of Eagle Scout says that being denied the job in an organization he loves is a crushing blow."

 

 Thanks for sharing that article. That is discriminatory and should have been dealt with in that fashion. I had a lot of fun in the Scouts.  lol

Edited May 9, 2015 by drpaladin

[Cynus]

Drake (Silas) reminds me a lot of myself years ago: He's so angry and distrustful that he's pushing everyone away- good, bad and indifferent.

 

He has too. He's in an extremely vulnerable position. If the system gets hold of him... that's not even a pretty thought.

 

I was doing some research for one of my novels and I ran across the Lost Boys of the LDS. Drake/Silas certianly isn't unique. To be as gung ho about family, the LDS sure does ditch a lot of kids.

 

I must confess a certain bias. A character named Rainer in Broken- the real life individual was LDS. You might say he left a lasting impression on me.

Believe me, I have no shortage of lasting impressions brought on by the LDS church. I spent 22 years in the religion, after all. It truly is an oppressive religion, and it's amazing how many times their teachings are contradictory. I've never understood how they can claim that family is the most important thing and then rule by guilt and disappointment. Emotional abuse is how they maintain control, and it's awful to grow up in.

 

 

You certainly have to be able to look through the character's eyes to understand why they react the way they do. I can see the concept of family being an extreme trigger for Silas. He associates it with everything bad that has happened in his life.

 

It's true, and that's certainly the reason why he has such a hard time speaking with Ian. Ian represents the time that his family first broke down, and even though Silas is on the same side of the issue as Ian it's hard for SIlas to see Ian as anything other than the catalyst for the way his life is now.

 

 Thanks for sharing that article. That is discriminatory and should have been dealt with in that fashion. I had a lot of fun in the Scouts.  lol

I only managed to have a little fun in scouts. Of course I was part of Mormon scouts, and that means they watched us like hawks... But yes, the poor guy deserves justice.

[drpaladin]

Silas is very resourceful and self sufficient because he was forced to be. That has the tendency to imagine that he has more emotional maturity than he actually has. In some ways he is still that eight year old boy that was abandoned by his closest family member with no explanation. Remember that he was given no explanation until he was twelve. He is emotionally stunted. Was what he did to Jenny cruel and extreme? Well yeah. That is a defense mechanism to push people away. I'm sure he's used it before. It's his nuke. He has had no one trustworthy to talk to and rationalize what has happened in his life in a fully open way.

[Cynus]

Silas is very resourceful and self sufficient because he was forced to be. That has the tendency to imagine that he has more emotional maturity than he actually has. In some ways he is still that eight year old boy that was abandoned by his closest family member with no explanation. Remember that he was given no explanation until he was twelve. He is emotionally stunted. Was what he did to Jenny cruel and extreme? Well yeah. That is a defense mechanism to push people away. I'm sure he's used it before. It's his nuke. He has had no one trustworthy to talk to and rationalize what has happened in his life in a fully open way.

I agree with you. When it comes to what I said in the reviews as to agreeing with both you and Cannd, is that while there is a basis for Silas to act that way, I'd say that from an ethical perspective it generally isn't good to leave a woman crying in the street. I have a hard time siding against Silas, and I have a hard time siding against Jenny. It's a bad situation that they're caught up in, and there really isn't a right answer until Silas is able to come to terms with what has happened and what is still happening. His emotions are justified, surely, but is his treatment of Jenny justified? 

 

But either way, Silas is in a position to evolve and overcome his past. The real question is what is he going to have to go through in order overcome it?

[drpaladin]

Jenny is clearly a kind and caring person. It hurt her to see Ian going through anguish as he did. Was it wrong for Silas to lash out at her? Absolutely. But to Silas she is nothing more than some stranger trying to meddle in his life.

[Cynus]

Jenny is clearly a kind and caring person. It hurt her to see Ian going through anguish as he did. Was it wrong for Silas to lash out at her? Absolutely. But to Silas she is nothing more than some stranger trying to meddle in his life.

A valid point. Silas doesn't do well with trusting anyone, and a stranger of all people! It's to be expected, even if it is wrong.

[Cynus]

Chapter 6 has posted! I'm excited to see what you wonderful readers think.

[Timothy M.]

Jenny is clearly a kind and caring person. It hurt her to see Ian going through anguish as he did. Was it wrong for Silas to lash out at her? Absolutely. But to Silas she is nothing more than some stranger trying to meddle in his life.

 

I couldn't agree more. And Silas had already had one meddlesome woman sticking her nose in his affair (the police incident).

 

And Jenny represents that ultimate family icon: the caring mother. Scary as Hell for a Drake in survival mode !

[Cynus]

I couldn't agree more. And Silas had already had one meddlesome woman sticking her nose in his affair (the police incident).

 

And Jenny represents that ultimate family icon: the caring mother. Scary as Hell for a Drake in survival mode !

I think you've made some excellent points here. It would be hard for me not to snub Jenny after dealing with Officer Higgins. One tense interaction can set the tone for the entire day, and Silas has had his fair share.

 

And he definitely has mother issues.

 

I promised to link to the video that inspired the last scene in Chapter 6, so here it is: 

[drpaladin]

Thanks for sharing that video. I like that too.

[Cynus]

It's one of my favorite songs of all time, and that particular video inspires me a lot.

[Puppilull]

Brady and the band need to tread lightly if they want to get Silas back in their lives. Going to the gig was the right choice. If they had gone after him, he would probably have bolted even faster. Afraid to connect and actually feel something.

[Cynus]

Brady and the band need to tread lightly if they want to get Silas back in their lives. Going to the gig was the right choice. If they had gone after him, he would probably have bolted even faster. Afraid to connect and actually feel something.

I think so too. It's a good thing that Brady knows what he's doing! There is a time and a place for everything.

 

A friend of mine who has read to the end of The Navigator shared this song with me today, saying that it ran through his head the entire time he was reading it. I happen to agree that it fits Silas pretty well.

 

[Valkyrie]

I have a prediction.  Someone recorded the band singing "The Navigator" and posted it online.  It becomes a viral hit and someone shows it to Silas.  He freaks out initially and won't let himself become close with the band, but eventually changes his tune (pun intended ) and lives happily ever after with Brody. After patching things up with his brother and a lot of angst along the way.  Oh, and the band gets a recording deal and becomes famous.  How'd I do?  lol  (I know, I know... no spoilers!) 

[Cynus]

I will say this: You got at least one thing right, but I'm not going to confirm which one it was!

But don't worry, tomorrow's chapter is going to put a spin on the story that no one will expect, and I think everyone will be a bit too busy thinking about the new angle to puzzle out which part you got correct.

 

Thanks, Valkyrie! We'll see how it goes. The lyrics for The Navigator already exist, by the way. We'll see them later.

[drpaladin]

This was very fitting. Silas is on his own great escape. It is a pretty sad life trying to avoid further emotional hurt by distancing himself from other people. I think he let the band in more than he had let anyone else since he left home. Chelsea is well on her way to becoming a part of his life. At this point he would have to really hurt her to push her away. I think Silas is too good to do that.

 

  Trying to fit in by pleasing his parents and seeming to be what they expected was doomed to fail from the start. The connections that Silas has made by being himself are lasting ones. Now will Silas start to see these relationships as more than fleeting encounters?

[drpaladin]

I will say this: You got at least one thing right, but I'm not going to confirm which one it was!

 

But don't worry, tomorrow's chapter is going to put a spin on the story that no one will expect, and I think everyone will be a bit too busy thinking about the new angle to puzzle out which part you got correct.

 

Thanks, Valkyrie! We'll see how it goes. The lyrics for The Navigator already exist, by the way. We'll see them later.

You're too good at the unexpected, so I'm not even going to try and guess what is going to happen. I know we'll be in for a good ride in any case.

[Timothy M.]

I'm wondering if Tara and Chelsea are together. It was really important to her to have silas meet her. Tara reacted wierdly when she found out he was gay and chelsea hadn't said it. I think they might have been having a moment and that big biatch officer decided to play morality police.

 

Cannd, I think you could be right about Tara, but not Chelsea. Remember at the camp she lamented about Drake being gay, she wouldn't lie about this topic, so she must be straight. But this wouldn't prevent the morality police from dragging her away from the 'evil' influence of two 'immoral' teens.