[Ansteorra] Things to think about....

[Bob Dewart]

For many years I avoided awards like the plague.  Then a young lady name
Alex who just happened to be Baroness Ravensfort explained to me that the
awards were like gifts and presents from your friends that the Crown gets
the pleasure of presenting to you.  Now there was an explanation I thought
was pretty cool.

So now, for me every court I get to attend is like Christmas morning when I
was a kid.  I'm happy and applaud every gift that is given.  In most cases,
I haven't a clue who some of these good folks are, and it doesn't matter one
bit.  A gift is a rare and precious thing that should be celebrated by all
who have the privilege of seeing it.

A knight, that most won't remember, once told me about someone getting an
award, "Such and such was always a Christmas tree.  They're just  finally
getting around to putting on some decorations."

Gilli

> Well, we are all different, Your Grace...But, the way I see it, you should
> strive to excel at the art/science/service for it's *own* sake, *not* for
> the achievement of an award.
> Way back when (when Don Dupre's theme-music still wafted through the air),
I
> wanted to be a Don, sure...but not to wear a White Scarf on my shoulder. I
> wanted to be a Don because the people I saw wearing White Scarves were (by
> and large) the kind of people I wanted to *be* ...with skills and
abilities
> that I greatly admired. I wanted to learn skill with the rapier *that*
well.
> I wanted to be that glib, that helpful, that flashy, that polished (well,
3
> out of 4 ain't bad...)
> If someone walked up, and had just handed me a scarf,...what whould it
mean?
> *Nothing*. OTOH, If I can achieve that level of skill and recognition, why
> do I really *need* a scarf? I wear it because it is an honor, bestowed on
me
> by people whom I admired greatly...and because custom and protocol require
> that I do. But my scarf (or any of my other awards) do not *define* me.
> Hopefully, I help to define *them*. When I forget to put my scarf on, do
> people stop calling me Don Alden? Nope.  If you took away every award that
I
> posess... I'm *still* Alden Pharamond. And there are (at least a few)
people
> who respect *me*, not my awards.
> IMHO, If you're playing this game for recognition, and awards that go
> Jingle-jangle-jingle ....you're in the wrong game. To me, that cheapens
the
> accolade you are being given.
>
> Just my bag-of-stale-bread's worth (extra points if you can make the
> connection!)
>
> In Service, I remain
> Alden Pharamond
> Tempio, Ansteorra
>
>
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