[Ansteorra] Questions 7/18

[Christie Ward]

Lorraine asked:

>1. What attracted you to the SCA?

Vikings.  I'd always been interested in the Vikings, and this was a place 
where I could be one.

>2. What is your perspective of what the SCA is to you?

Mari ferch Rathyen and I have had several long discussions about ways in 
which the SCA functions like a church (not "as a religion", mind you - 
rather the social, ceremonial, moral, etc. functions that a church 
organization has).  The SCA provides me with community, both in the "second 
family" of my close friends, and as a larger community or reasonably 
like-minded folk, most if not all of whom have interests that overlap mine 
to some degree.  Our courts and tournaments provide ritual and ceremony that 
most of Western culture lacks outside of church environments.  And the SCA 
tends to espouse "moral values" of chivalry and honor, even if we do so in 
ways more reminiscent of the Victorians than of the actual medieval period, 
moral values which (at least as an ideal) most of us really want to believe 
in and be a part of.

Another major factor - in the "Real World (TM)" most people do not 
appreciate handicrafts - your relatives look at you askance when you try to 
talk about the arts you practice, and the general public very often lumps 
those who practice crafts with their great-aunt Edna, who used to foist off 
truly awesomely ugly crocheted afghans on everyone and kept waaay too many 
cats... ;-)  The SCA, on the other hand, is a place in which lots of people 
both appreciate and practice handicrafts, giving you an audience in which to 
show off what you do and people with whom you can communicate intelligently 
and enthusiastically about what you do.

>3. Where do you invest the most time and energy in   the SCA (household, 
>local group, kingdom, specific activity)

Unquestionably the arts, SCA-wide but mostly in kingdom.  Not just doing 
them, but working conscientiously as a Laurel, supporting the MOAS office 
via the website, teaching, etc. etc. etc.  My research is available 
everywhere via the web, and on occasion I travel to and teach in other 
kingdoms as well.

>4. How long before you started to take initiative in the SCA   (applying 
>for an office, organizing an activity, etc.?)

A while, at least a couple of years.  At first I was an overcommitted 
college student doing SCA only when I could afford both the money and the 
time.

>5. Were there instances that could have "run you out of the   SCA"..why did 
>they not...or why did you come back?

Absolutely.  Conflict with administrative and political details would be the 
biggest problem that's affected me this way.  I didn't quit because (a) I am 
just that d at mn stubborn, (b) that would be letting that ^%$#@! person "win", 
and (c) I haven't devoted over twenty years of my life to a very 
time-consuming and usually expensive hobby to give it up because I'm unhappy 
for a very short time compared to the years of fun it's been!

Ultimately what keeps me in the SCA is that it is fun and satisfying, and in 
the long run I get *MUCH* more fun, enjoyment and satisfaction out of my 
participation than I get aggravation.  If that changed (i.e., more 
aggravation and heartache than fun, weighed against my 20+ years), then I 
*would* quit... but it would take one heck of a lot of aggravation to 
outweigh the fun and friendships.

>6. How long before you burned out? Why did you burn out?   Is there 
>anything anyone could have done to help keep you from   "burning out"?

I never got all crispy and fried.  That's mostly because I had one long 
spell in which I went back to school and was quite inactive.  There have 
also been a couple of times when my real day-to-day life in the form of work 
and family obligations has made me be less active, which allows the SCA to 
be my haven and a restorative activity when those pressures ease off.

>7. What do you get out of the SCA?

Fun.  Lots of fun.

>8. If you have your AoA...how long did you get it after starting   to 
>participate in the SCA?

Five years.  I think the biggest factor in getting it was starting to take 
an active participatory role in the SCA (I served as baronial chronicler) 
instead of just being a passive observer.

>9. why do you think that people should join the
>   SCA and stay in it?

Not everyone should.  Sometimes SCA folk get to being total SCA evangelists 
(rather like a recently reformed smoker telling everyone else they should 
quit...) and there are some people who just shouldn't be in the SCA but get 
dragged in anyway.  Luckily when this happens the people usually get back 
out, but alas not before making themselves and folks around them quite 
unhappy.

The SCA, even having grown as it has, is still like a small town.  People 
know what everyone else is doing, gossip moves faster than the speed of 
light or the rise of taxes, so people who are uncomfortable with their 
shortcomings being quickly and widely known shouldn't join.

The SCA is also a place in which we *all* get to be performers in a very 
unique kind of play-acting, and consequently we each have to be able to 
share our "slice of the stage" with everyone else from time to time.  Those 
who have a poor sense of self-esteem and thus have a deep need to *always* 
be the center of attention and have trouble sharing "center stage" aren't 
going to be happy in the SCA.

Why should people actually join and stay with the SCA?  If you find it fun 
and satisfying, join and enjoy the activities.

If you have enjoyed the SCA in the past but for some reason you're not so 
happy now, figure out whether you're focusing too much on stuff that's not 
really what you love (doing stuff solely in the pursuit of awards, for one 
example, instead of doing cool things because you enjoy doing whatever it 
is) -- and if so, go back to doing the fun stuff!   Or maybe you need to 
shift focus within the SCA and look at activities you might not have tried 
yet.

If you used to love the SCA but now it's never any fun and there's not 
anything about the activity that you find worthwhile or fun anymore, then 
maybe it's time to take a little time off and do other stuff for a while.  
Some people decide they want to move towards re-enactment groups that offer 
more authenticity, for example, or a spinner finds out that mundane textile 
arts groups are more of what they want/need.  You may want to check back 
into the SCA after a while and see if it looks better then.

But the key to the SCA overall is the fact that it's our recreational time, 
and if what you are doing isn't fun, if it's not something you enjoy and 
love, then  why are you doing it?  Look for the enjoyment (boy, that kind of 
sounded like a beer ad, didn't it?)

::GUNNVOR::