Hunting Unicorns

The New Year has arrived. It is often considered a fresh slate, a chance to declare a resolution, a desire to make changes in our lives, move in a new direction, or just to recover from the party the night before.

This month the Christian Writers blog chain has chosen the theme "The Quest". I quickly grabbed January one, more out of the sort of pattern I had developed over the last couple of months of my participation (11/11, 12/12, 1/1). I didn't choose 2/2 for February, however. But that is for another month.

I fondly remember this time year as my Alma Mater, Lake Superior State University, releases its annual Banished Words list (http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php). It is a list of words that have been misused, overused and abused during the year.

This tradition was started by the Unicorn Hunters. The organization was a publicity campaign for the then Lake Superior State College. It was started by Bill Rabe and some of the college's English professors, most of which I had the privilege of having as instructors during my time there. My guess is it was conceived at their favorite watering hole.

As well as the banished list, they also were responsible for the LSSU's quarterly literary magazine, The Woods Runner. I had my first (and only) short story published in it.

The other activity which endures from this group is the burning of a paper snowman effigy on the first day of spring. For those of you who have experienced the long northern winters, this was a joyous event. When I attended this event in my college days, people would read poetry denouncing winter and welcoming spring's arrival. People would drink mead (hot chocolate) in public and partied that evening.

Other events the Unicorn Hunters were known for were Thank a Teacher Week, Lizzie Borden Appreciation Day. The International Stone Skipping Championship, Shakespeare on the Veranda on Mackinac Island (Pronounced Mackinaw) and the Hunters Ball, held every November. This was the signal for people to start submitting and considering nominations for the list. Just before midnight on the 31st, Bill Rabe would fax the list to newspapers all over the world.

As a Unicorn Hunter, I had a Questing License and a neat Unicorn Hunter pin. You can still get your license on the Web site. Although bow season is now closed for hunting unicorns, the only time of the year you can't hunt them is on St Agnes' Eve; to give the hares a rest from being trampled by stampeding unicorns. You are also requested not to hunt when the tooth fairy is on her rounds. Apparently she once had an unhappy encounter with a disgruntled unicorn.

Other rules and regulations for unicorn questing can be found on the website. They contain all the information you need to hunt unicorns and where you can hunt them. It even gives instructions on the proper hunting outfit - Gawain green or Mordred red. Apparently Unicorns think they are very stylish colors.

Although the Unicorn Hunters have been defunct for twenty-five years, their legacy lives on. As a writer, and I'm sure many of my writing friends would agree, our writing is a quest. Sometimes our efforts to reach our goals seem as elusive as hunting this alleged mythical creature. But when the quest is successful, there is no feeling like it. We proudly display our catch and brag about the effort it took to win it.

Peter Thomas, Poet in Residence during my tenure at the school and the Chief Herald of the Unicorn Hunters said "The pursuit of the unicorn is a lonely quest, but many more embark upon that journey than teachers or publishers may recognize."

That may have been an accurate assessment of pursuing writing over a quarter of a century ago, and still may hold some validity today. Like questing for unicorns, writing is a very solitary profession. You stare at a blank piece of paper or your word processor fingers poised to start your quest. But I think the interment and social networking has done a lot to make the quest a lot less lonely.

You start out on our own, in search of the unicorn. It can seem like you are all by yourself. Discouragement, defeat and failure become your constant companions. They whisper in your ear that maybe you should stop this quest. Your family and friends don't understand the need you have to go on this quest. There are times when you are tempted to abandon it altogether and return to the safety of your comfort zone.

Then you discover others on the same quest. You share ideas and questing stories; victories and frustrations. You compare notes and encourage each other. New life is breathed into your quest and your resolve picks up. You leave your old companions and continue on, working towards completion of your quest.

So instead of talking about our resolutions goals for the New Year, let's talk about the quest. What dreams do you have this year? Is it to finish that novel that has been sitting in your desk or on the computer for the last five years? Is the quest to have your work published? Is the dream to write your first book?

There is nothing stopping you from commencing on your quest this year. You even have a license to do so. So fellow questers; here's to the hunt. Here is to your dreams. We'll sit around the fire and raise a glass of mead. Happy hunting!