http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/u...IXEDBANNER.jpg

I stand before you all today not as a Guildmaster, not as a leader, and not even as a friend; I stand before you today as a partner.

At some point in time, we must all take a step back and recognize not how far we have come, or how far we wish to go, but instead how we got here. We take for granted the accomplishments we have made, and fret far too much over what we have not already; we lose ourselves in the constant cycle of completion and demand, wanting to continue, progress, expand, and grow. The future is an inevitable goal for all of us, but sometimes in order to go in to future we must appreciate our past, as a way to both learn, celebrate, and appreciate what has brought us to where we are.

We have all experienced the excruciating pain of the world collapsing in on us - like nothing seems to go right; like the world is caving in on you; like nobody is there for you. Many times in life I have felt this firsthand, and many notable times it has pushed me to the point where I just didn't want to go on. Couldn't I just give up, crawl up in a ball and hide? I mean, there wasn't much of a reason not to; I no longer had that drive to go forward and accomplish things for myself, because I knew every time I stood up somebody would do everything in their power to drag me down to the abyss once more. It was like I was chained in a cell for all eternity, and the key was just out of reach - all I needed was somebody to help hand it to me.

This was before I met the partners.

I knew the very second I stepped in to this guild, something was different. I wasn't comfortable in the atmosphere of the guild at first, not because I wasn't welcomed enough, but because I was almost welcomed too much. How come every time I logged on they would yell "DELLLLLLLLLLLLL!!" or when they guilded me how they all circled around me in the courtyard outside Adoria's Tailor Shop on Padres Del Fuego and threw dirt at me? It was a different world to me, but over time I not only learned what was going on, but I became a part of it; though I can't say it was under my own will.

Anybody that has ever entered this guild can testify to the fact you don't make yourself a part of the guild, it just happens. The second you enter, you lose yourself in everything - the people, the conversation, the crazy and weird guild traditions, the outstanding guild events, and the overwhelming friendliness that hits you like a brick wall the second you step inside. I knew from the very first minute I joined Partners in Crime that I was becoming a part of something special, unlike any other guild that I had ever seen before. Not only were the people kind, but they were genuine; when they said they included everybody, they meant everybody; and no matter how much I reasoned I would never be as crazy as them, it was clear just a few weeks later that not only had I become one of them, but I had become worse!

But now, we have matured. Our guild has grown wiser, our members have become stronger, and our numbers have grown to encompass not only more pirates, but a different generations of pirates. One of the most unique things about this guild, which I still marvel at to this day, is how diverse our guild is, and yet how cohesive it is at the same time - pirates from 2006 intermingling with ones straight off the dock, adults conversing with kids, and don't even get me started on the "characters" we have in our guild. We truly are a collection of pirates from all over the Caribbean, and it is because of this we have grown to be who we are today.

And although we have changed in many respects, one defining characteristic still has remained a constant throughout these four years - we are still a family.

The banner you see at the top of this thread is the collective effort of pirates from all over the guild - the memories that have been shared in this guild throughout the years have come together in one mighty piece of art created by our own Andrea Melissa, and it is in it's reflection we can find all of us. The scary thing is I understand what every single one of those screenshots is from - and although some of our newer partners may not know who Captain Edward "Thunderhead" was, or why I wore that hideous coat back then (I still have it, ya know!) it shows that this guild has given us the special connection to other people that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

And I want to celebrate this. But not just with my guild, but with all of you. We owe it to YOU, the pirates of the Caribbean for helping us get this far; so, I want to reward you all with only the most epic of all celebrations.

On Friday, December 2nd, 2011, please join my guild and I as we celebrate our four years in the most glorious style possible! We will be leading a massive sea raid around the entire Caribbean, following by a great pirate storming of the island of Kingshead! We will gather on the docks of Tortuga, and when we are all ready, we will launch our ships as individuals and, headed by the legendary Victory Shark War Fleet, sail around the Caribbean (the route is marked on the map below) sinking all enemies in sight! We will then round up at Kingshead, where we will meet on the docks before storming our way to the top!

http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/u...ateGWR-6-1.jpg

After the armada, we will launch our armada again and sail to Port Royal, where we will commence our Anniversary Celebration in the Royal Anchor!

What: PARTNERS IN CRIME'S FOURTH ANNIVERSARY!
When: December 2nd, 2011, at 8:30 PM Eastern (7:30 PM CST, 6:30 PM MST, 5:30 PM PST)
Where: We will meet on the docks of Tortuga, Kokojillo, and sail on from there.
Why: To celebrate our fourth anniversary with the Caribbean!
Who: ALL PIRATES!

As you all know, this event is VERY important to my guild and I, so I would appreciate a very large turnout! Inform your guilds, your friends, and all pirates, so we can make this fleet a great sight and memory for us all!!

Thanks again, mates! See you on the second!

Drink up, me hearties, yo-ho :buds:

:fireworks3: HAPPY FOURTH PNC!!!!! :fireworks3:

Grats Del! Good job keeping it alive!