Rainer and I attended the Shire's Here be Griffins event this weekend. As I wade through the pile of laundry that needs doing, and I look about my living room - all resplendent in pieces of fabric, sewing tools, pewter engraving tools, serving dishes, cook books, mugs and plates that need putting away, I wonder why it is that Rainer and I play this game?
What is it about the SCA that draws us in? Why on earth do we keep on doing this?
This begs some reflection... It's true - the SCA isn't for everyone... many people find the idea of dressing in clothing typical of the medieval period or renaissance to be strange unto itself... the fact that we spend our free time (or not so free time, depending on crazy your schedule is) recreating a fantasy is even more bizarre...
But the SCA has given me so many gifts... as I ponder on it, I begin to realise just how beautiful these experiences are... I met my husband through the SCA, the SCA provides both of us with an outlet for our creativity, and it is a place where you can make some really good friends.
The SCA has added a certain richness to our lives... it allows us to, just for a while, suspend the reality of the daily plodding of life, to reach for something that beckons of mystery and a tinge of surreal wonder. It's a place of warmth... we laugh a lot in this place.
Make no mistake, being a small shire, there is much work to be done... and it can be overwhelming for those of us who do the work... and yes, we have experienced our fair share of politics through the years, not to mention burn out... But when all is said and done - playing this game adds to our lives more than it detracts... There's nothing quite like being in court, and witnessing a dear friend finally being recognised for their efforts... or waking up early in the morning, before anyone else is awake, taking a walk through the site and appreciating the quiet before the day's mad activity...
The SCA, besides being an intriguing subculture, is a 'dream within a dream'. It's difficult to describe it unless you've played for a while...
It's fascinating to see how the 'code' (honour, courtesy, faith, prowess, courage, honesty, generosity, loyalty etc.) that we attempt to live by during our events seeps into our daily lives... In a day and age where most of what we use in our daily lives is, in one form or another, derived from cold plastic - it's comforting to return to a place where the depth and warmth of wood, glass, iron, wool - all that is of nature and earthy in its character - is felt. There's a certain hominess to an SCA event site... a stirring of ages gone by, a whisper of mystery... an invitation to relish something different... and to allow yourself to be swept up in it...
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