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March 5, 2007
The Duke Exposed
By: Brad Reed
Creative Writer
The Duke's Spin
Yikes! For the past several months, I've been writing articles for the New Town Courier under the guise of the "Duke of Hempstead". Well, its quite obvious now that I've been exposed. The cat's out of the bag; the jigs up; the beans have been spilled. I have a real name and a real face to go with that name...I cannot hide behind the Duke's facade any longer. I suppose all things must pass, as George Harrison once put it, but I liked the mystery involved in writing with a pen name.
The greatest benefit the Duke gave to me was the ability to express myself secretly…without any attachments. It got me started. I could ramble on with page after page of ideas and observations, and no one could make the connection back to me. The Duke gave me the "guts" to pursue my writing exploits further. Undercover. Covertly. Nevertheless, the Duke will still write in clandestine style for the Courier if they deem my articles worthy, but the secret is now defunct.
Hopefully, I will become more polished with this writing venture, and some day I may create something that’s really noteworthy. Probably not. In the mean time, I've been able to dismiss the fears of sticking my literary neck out and I'm really enjoying it. I find no problem with associating my real name to these articles any more. The attached photograph - now that's another story. With all of the talented residents we have here in New Town, I'm sure someone has the ability to do a little computer enhancing to the ole' Duke's photo for a handsome reward.
Since I have no experience in writing anything of value, I'll probably continue to fumble through these articles with all of the finesse of a lumberjack and occasionally have a difficult time trying to convey in print what I actually think. My observations may seem sappy at times, and other times I find it very hard to shut up. However, I write what I believe, and I consider myself very lucky to be part of this community.
New Town is physically very beautiful and inspiring, as many of you know first hand. Its one of the driving forces behind my newly discovered hobby, creative writing. How can you not love this place? Not only is the concept of New Urbanism a breath of fresh air to me, but I've never lived in a "new" development since I was five years old, so the pristine stature of everything is awesome, as well. By simply witnessing the multitudes of curious visitors who tour the streets of New Town every weekend, you can understand what I am refering to. My wife and I like to call Sunday "Parade Day".
Another element that guides my pen is my fascination to know how things work; how everything goes together. Each day, when I return home from the "salt mines", I tour our wonderful community. Its a silly little game I play with myself that helps me understand the construction dynamics that become concealed within the finished homes, businesses, and infrastructure. I mentally catalog things that have been completed and then try to anticipate the next steps that will follow behind. Pretty silly? Yes indeed. However, it allows me the ability to see and understand the hard work each and every one of the contributers has had in the development of New Town.
Of course, the most important ingredients added to my inspirational unearthings are the residents of this magnificent community. Everyone I meet has really accepted the New Urbanism approach to life, and we are loving it. At least, this is what I perceive. Its been a night and day reversal for me compared to the old neighborhood my family moved from, and I couldn't be happier. This by far, is the main reason I scribble down my thoughts for all to read. We are fortunate to posess the fabulous outer beauty that this illustrious community provides, but the greater benefit of living here is the veiled inner beauty of New Town, the soul of our new home, the residents.
The Duke may have been exposed, but I will still contribute a tiny thread to the fiber of our community as long as my inspiration allows me. Sometimes, the words seem to fly right out of the tips of my fingers and onto the computer screen, making me feel like an innocent bystander. It sounds simple enough, and most of the time it actually is when you consider the vast selection of fascinating things to write about here in New Town. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Holy cow, Ricky knows who I am now!
"The Duke of Hempstead"
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