[Ansteorra] Peerage - Good and Bad, the Possibilites

[C. L. Ward]

Greetings from Gunnvor!

I had a copy of the excellent little essay on peerage sent to me, and I
liked it so well that I asked for and received permission from the author to
repost it in Ansteorra.

::GUNNVOR::

----- Reposted Message, By Permission ------

> From: "Amy L. Hornburg Heilveil" <aheilvei at uiuc.edu>
> Date: 2002/06/13 Thu PM 01:50:22 EDT
> To: Authentic_SCA at yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Authentic_SCA] peerage - good and bad, the possibilites
>
>
We just had a similar discussion on my kingdom's list  - stuffy peers - and
it was stopped fairly quickly <innocent whistling heard in the background>
wonder who helped do that? Anyway, some thoughts that came out of that
before it was quashed. And some thoughts I had after it was
quashed.  *grin*  These are being posted as my opinions and ideas.  I'm not
saying that everyone has to subscribe to them. This is also not to
encourage peer bashing or non-peer bashing, so please let's not go there.

Not all peers are bad.
Not all peers are good.
Peerage does not confer knowledge, nor does it take away knowledge.
Peerage does not confer a usable brain; one can either have or lack such a
thing with or without peerage.
Peerage does not make one stuffy; one can be stuffy without peerage.
Peerage can inflate the ego.
Peerage can make one humble and awed.
It is possible to be an ass before peerage.
It is possible to become more of an ass after peerage.
It is possible to realize upon peerage, that other people are looking at
one and then clean up the asinine-ness in one's behavior in order to be a
better example.
It is also possible to realize all of this, not care, and not change.
There are peers who should not be emulated.
There are peers who should be emulated as closely as possible.

In short, the one thing that peers have in common is that they are all
human - all have faults, all have flaws, and every one was a newbie at one
time looking for a clue.  Being a peer doesn't instantly make one a better
person, smarter, more engaging, nor do one's jokes all become funny at that
point. *grin*  Not being a peer also doesn't make one a better person,
smarter, more engaging, and one's jokes still aren't necessicarily funny
all the time.  *grin*

Being a peer bestows responsibility - to one's kingdom, one's family, one's
friends, one's household, and the society at large. Part of that
responsibility is remembering that one is a peer and, no matter what one
does, after one gets peerage, one is *always* identified as such.  Anything
that comes out of one's mouth from that point on, is going to be taken as
gospel by someone.  Any action that one takes from that point on, someone
is going to be watching and will remember how they saw a peer act in that
situation. Part of the responsibility is remembering that one was not
always a peer and one is human.  Not all peers take the responsibility
seriously and it is a loss to themselves and the society (for all those
they could have helped and won't because they are viewed as unapproachable
in some manner). Those peers who do take the responsibility seriously
should be applauded and thanked - often.

Everyone who enters the society has the possibility of becoming a
peer.  *everyone* Everyone within the society has peer-like qualities in
them.  How those qualities develop and manifest themselves is not only up
to the individual, but also those around them; including the peers with
whom they come into contact.

Peerage isn't a reward, it's recognition.  It is not given, it is earned.

I can recognize someone as a peer because they (obviously) earned that
rank.  However, they must still earn my respect; *that* is never freely
given.

One never knows who one might inspire to greatness or toss into the
darkness with a single phrase, word, or look.  A moment of your time could
be solidify a lifetime commitment of service and learning in the SCA for
someone else.  Take the moment. It's worth it in the long run - to you, to
the person with whom you are speaking, and to the society as a whole.

I often need to remind myself of this; I am not a peer and I don't pretend
to be one; but I know that I can have an impact on people and I know that I
am pointed to when certain subjects arise. Just as Bran learned, one
needn't be a peer to inspire another person or gain a reputation for
certain aspects of the game.  Be yourself, have fun and enjoy the game. If
you learn something along the way, good for you. If you teach someone
something along the way, congratulations, that's even
better.  *grin*  Knowledge, once acquired, can never be taken away; but it
can be freely given. No one is unteachable.

Peerage is both a blessing and a curse. May you all receive all the
peerages you earn and deserve.

Smiles,
Cu Drag,
Despina de la Brasov
Middle Kingdom


----------
A good way to judge people is by observing how they treat those who can do
them absolutely no good.


----------
"I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not
trying."   -- Michael Jordan


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Find a purpose in life so big it will challenge every capacity to be at
your best.
--David O. McKay


----------
The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the
right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
--Dorothy Nevell


----------
There are no short cuts to any place worth going.


----------
There are 8 levels of righteousness in Jewish tradition:
1.Giving begrudgingly
2. Giving less than you should, after being asked.
3.Giving after being asked,  but giving cheerfully.
4.Giving before being asked
5.Giving when you do not know the recipient's identity, but the recipient
knows your identity
6.Giving when you know the recipient's identity, but the recipient doesn't
know your identity
7.Giving when neither party knows the other's identity
8.Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant


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