Others First, Self Second

Gray sat before the recorder in his blue and gray armor. The Raxis wolf was over the chest and his head remained uncovered with only a gray scarf covered in Mandalorian symbols over his eyes. He felt drawn to leaving behind something for his people. He had lost his sight, but it was clear his people had gone blind to their own culture. It was something that needed to be addressed in some way. Others had been addressing it, but their views felt as much lacking as the views of the ones who had created the current divide. The basics of the culture had been forgotten or ignored. They needed to be reminded of it as well as the true meanings of what it meant to be Mandalorian. He cleared his throat then pressed the button to record....
" I am Gray Raxis Alor of Clan Raxis. Some who watch this may know me. Others of you may have heard of me. Most I imagine don't really know who I am. I will tell you who I am. I am Mandalorian. My father taught me what it means to be a Mandalorian as he raised me. He came from a family on Alderaan or Tatooine or some other world. I don't remember exactly where and he never really talked much about it. At a young age who chose to become a Mandalorian and since then he considered Mandlore to be his home, as I do as well. We never did spend much time on Mandalore though, but instead traveled all over the galaxy. By all rights neither of us should feel a deep connection to the planet, but we always have. I always will. All Mandalorians should. Mandalore is not just a planet after all, at least to Mandalorians. It is more. It stands for more. It is a home, an anchor. No matter where we are born or where we come from, the moment we become Mandalorian then Mandalore becomes a place for us all to return and rest. It is mutual hearth."
" Who are Mandalorians? Why is it that the simple act of becoming a Mandalorian suddenly does this? It is because Mandalorians are not a people. We are not a race, a species, or a group. We are a culture. We are beings who by all rights should be separated but are bound together by these ideals laid out in the Resol'nare. This idea of being bound is the most important aspect of what it means to be Mandalorian. To be Mandalorian means life is not about your self but about others. As a Mandalorian my life is not for myself but for all of Mandalore."
"I am a force user, a known one at that. As I record this those with the gift of the force are currently not welcome on Mandalore. Exile or being turned force dead are my only options, although that is already changing. Many believe that the force has no place in our culture. Others just don't see where it fits in. Some even want to say that the Manda, what makes up everything in exist from the plane of the living to that of the dead, is the force. To all of these mentalities I want to say you are wrong. The force is not the Manda and it does have a place within our culture. Its place is the same as our own. It is another piece of the Manda that some times gets gifted to us to help us serve our fellow Mandalorians...."
" Sorry, I got a little side tracked there. As I said all Mandalorians are about what is best for the rest of our people before ourselves. This simple fact is true no matter what gifts the Manda bestows upon us. Everything about our culture is built around this simple ideal of Others first, Self second. It is why blood and heritage are not important to us. All that matters is that they are Mandalorian for being a Mandalorian is in how you live not where you are from. I adopted Yasha Mantis as my daughter but I will do anything for her as if she was of my own flesh and blood. That is what it means to be Mandalorian."
"No matter what we are or what we do it is in service to all of Mandalore. Engineers create new machines and improve older ones so that we can travel, communicate, and live easier lives. Artists create new works to entertain and inspire other Mandalorians to be the best they can be. Doctors heal the sick and ease the pain of those who's time has come. Even Warriors are not about their own personal glory but about providing and protecting all of Mandalore. That is something we have forgotten as of late. War and conflict and battle are not the goal. It is only a means to achieve the greater aspiration of our people: To Provide and Protect."

" That is how it should be, that is who Mandalorians are. Lately we have forgotten or ignored this simple fact. If we are going to risk our lives and the lives of our fellow Mandalorians in combat then it must be for the greater good of us all, not for a lust for blood and battle. What the Galaxy sees us as, what too many of us see ourselves as, is absolutely wrong and a twisted perversion of what it means to be a Mandalorian. There is far more I have to say about our people, but I will end the recording here for now. I will record more later and I hope you, my brothers and sisters of Mandalore, listen and remember what it means to be a Mandalorian as well."
Gray turned the recorder off. There was so much for him to say. Did he have the time for all of it though? Would his people even listen to him or would his words be ignored? It was hard to say. For now he needed some time to collect himself and prepare for the task as hand. Mandalorians needed to be reminded who they were and why they did what they do. Without understanding and purpose, they were no more than children with dangerous weapons.