The What of Whom?
Two strangers meet on a road. They first show their hands bare of weapons with a wave then a handshake. They identify themselves and their origins. One of the new acquaintances knows of the land in which they meet and the other does not, so he tells the traveler where she is.
Hello to you, reader. Let me shake your hand. I am Michael Demastrie. As for my origins, there are many, depending how we view my past. For this first introduction, I’ll be traditional and tell you of my surname identity rather than my geographical or social affiliations. Before 1915, my last name would have been De Maestri, with “de” meaning “from the family of” and Maestri originating from the Roman word magisters and most recognizable today as the plural of maestro. I identity with a family line of masters—taken by me in its most general meaning as those people who aim to master something, anything really, or even many things.
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