The Dragon Speech

The finest speech I gave in my entire life was The Dragon Speech, presented at one of the early Computer Game Developers' Conferences. In it, I used "The Dragon" as a metaphor for the unattainable goal of artistic expression through computer game design.

The finale of the speech really blew their socks off. I confronted an imaginary dragon that I purported to see in the air at the back of the lecture hall. "After all these years, I can finally see you!" I declared. "And you're beautiful, but, you're also ugly beyond description. Yes, yes, I'm afraid of you YOU HURT ME! I've felt your claws ripping through my soul!" These last lines were delivered with genuine anguish of an intensity that disturbed and frightened many in the audience. I continued, "But I've got to learn to face you, eyeball to eyeball, and I can't put it off any longer. I've got to do it NOW! HERE! Come, Dragon, I will fight you!" I turned to my right and hissed, "Sancho Panza, my sword!" and then grabbed a sword from its hiding place on the lectern. I brandished the sword and with the most deadly seriousness, intoned, "For Truth! For Beauty! For Art! CHARGE!" I galloped down the central aisle of the lecture room, shouting "CHARGE!" right out into the corridor. I never came back.

The audience, shocked, sat quietly for several moments. Only after it was obvious that I wasn't coming back did they disperse.