ANST - The other side of the Crown - Long again

[Michael F. Gunter]

Hi again Amy and Ansteorra,

In my post about being Crown I seemed to focus
on the negatives. Mainly because this was the
way Amy asked the questions. I think it may
have made me seem bitter or burned out. Please
know that being Crown is not all drudgery.
Now for the up side.

To be the Crown of any kingdom is truly burden and
joy. Often for the same reasons. You ARE the kindom.
I have told some of the burdens but the joys of being
Crown far outstrip any discomfort.

I'll forgo the obvious items like you get the big hat
and everyone has to bow to you. That's obvious and
acutally gets uncomfortable sometimes.

But you get to see how the kingdom works from the
inside. You sit in all the Circles and truly get to know
the other Peers, Centurions, & White Scarves. You
deal closely with the Officers as well. To
work with these people gives you a deeper understanding
of how the SCA works. Suddenly you see the gears that
make the Kingdom ride smoothly.

To recieve gifts is a joy beyond the material. It means
you are doing a good job and the people care enough
about you to go to the extra effort of doing something
to make you happy. A couple of the nicest gifts I recieved
as King were simply left in the chair while I was away.
This was not done so the person could "look good before
the King" but simply because they wanted to do something
nice. Some items were as grand as a camp bed for two
(who will forget the King and Queen being carried around
the hall on it?) and others were as simple as a flower. And
to know we brought honor to the person by merely accepting
it and saying thank you was a better gift than the gift itself.

To have a gentle cry tears of happiness and embarassment
when we gave them an award is what makes it all real.
At that moment, when we gave an AoA and made someone
part of the family is when I truly felt a King. Also presiding
over the grandeur and ceremony of a Peerage is both
daunting and exhilarating. To forever be to someone "Their
King" because I was the first they saw or the one who gave
them their AoA is something all Crowns know.

But the moments which truly made everything real were those
times of duress. When people came up to me and needed a
decision made or an answer NOW! To give a command and
the people bow and say "Yes, Your Majesty" as they go
to do your bidding is heady and humbling. They will do as you
tell them. Make sure it's the right thing.

Walking or riding in the golden surcote of the Arms of Ansteorra
with the army at your back, banners swirling, drums and pipes
calling and the army singing the battle hymns of our land makes
you feel invincible! For this moment you are the CROWN!

I am not tired or embittered by my term as King. Quite the
opposite. Whenever I do get tired or wonder if it was worth it
I can think back to times as Crown and relive some of the
joys and glory of leading this land. The pride of watching "my"
army take the fort at Gulf War. Feeling unworthy as people
cheered at Coronation. Actually feeling like I was father to this
populace (sometimes unruly children but loved nonetheless).
The extreme happiness of the new friends we made in far away
places (like Le Marche Sauvage). Meeting and becoming friends
with other monarchs who can sometimes be pretty groovy people
themselves. To sit in State and have the populace come forward
just to talk. The open arms of every group we visited. The delight
of ordinary things that I would do anyway suddenly becoming
very special (the KING carried that lady's ice chest!). To know
your friends care enough about you that they will work their
tails off for little reward other than to make life a bit easier for
you.
(But we do pay for it later, don't we guys?)

Would I do it again? I don't know. Everything is up the the fates.
Maybe if I could have a Queen as perfect as the one I had and
the people wanted it and my fighting was up to the task.
But I would never have the memories replaced. Being Crown is
indeed hard work but it is more than made up by the people who
allow you to be that Crown.

I hope this balances things a bit.

Yours,

Gunthar


============================================================================
Go to http://lists.ansteorra.org/lists.html to perform mailing list tasks.