[Ansteorra] Questions 7/18

[Simone U'Dunalingh]

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 11:16:41 -0500, Jay Rudin <rudin at ev1.net> wrote:

> Lorraine asked:
>
> 1. What attracted you to the SCA?

I was 10, my mother and us had just been assigned to Clark AFB in the  
Phillipens. We were attending a squadron party at Bicontenial Park on the  
base, enjoying the day mom and I started talking about my need to find a  
hobby. (i had been getting board and into truble alot)when I heard an  
unfamilar sound (I know know as a rattan sword comming in contact with a  
shieild) I turned around and across the park were two men fighting. to my  
10 year old brain it looked like to fighters fom a King Authors tale. I  
could hardly belive my eyes. AS only a child can I declared "Momma I want  
to do that!"

My mom took me over to the place were the people in armor were fighting,  
and spent a long time talking to one with a white belt. when they were  
done I was introduced to Sir Mika Longbow and taken as a page. we met  
every week for fighter parctice followed by a revel (those were fun I  
discovered) every other week week the guilds got together for costuming  
and other artsy stuff. For a young child a love for the society began, one  
that I would not trade for anything.


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

What the SCA is to me. this could take a while

A stable constant in my life. over the past 25 years no matter what crazy  
things have gone on in my life the SCA and her people have always been  
there.  my first 5 years in the SCA were the last 5 years of my active and  
very distructive drinking career. When I got sober almost 20 years ago the  
support from SCAdians was mind boggeling.  With love and tolerance they,  
with the members of a 12 step group I belonged to helped me relearn who I  
was sober.  The SCA became a safe place to put new social skills values  
into practice to become a better person in the real world. Her members  
were and are always encouraging me to be a better person. They never gave  
up on me, and often times loved me until I could love myself. for which I  
am very greatful.

For me the SCA is more than a game, more than folks dressing up and  
recreating history and arts. The help I have recived from her memebrs over  
the years has been real. the bonds of friendship real, the emotions are  
real. I could never repay the members of the society for what they have  
freely given me over the years. I would not be who I am today without the  
suport and encouragement of her members.

The SCA is a wonderful place were folks learn about history, values, and  
friendship. A place were we can learn to be more than who we are. a place  
were we can grow. Sometimes there are personality conflicts and feelings  
get hurt. That's part of Life, part of being human, part of growing up. If  
we take the good with the bad. talk out our problems and treat each other  
as human being we see the magic in the society and we grow. at least that  
is my experiance. For me the SCA is more than a recreation society it is a  
large society of friends and family were one can learn to come into there  
own, and a place were one is truely never alone unless they chose to be.

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

This would be hard to pen down I spend  a lot of my time with my  
household. I spend a lot of time working with others outside of my  
household. I travel extensively across the Kingdom. I work at most of the  
events I attend in one form or another in the background. be it troll,  
security, marshaling, judging a competion, working with newcomers.  
teaching a class. I also devote a lot of time to the bardic arts and to  
those who have asked me for help. It would behard to say which of theses  
areas take up most of my time.



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

Almost at word go I have been helping and serving. be it  helping to  
organize a local revel or as a deputy officer. I was in 9 years before I  
held my first office and was not a deputy but a lot of that had to do with  
age.

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

There have been times, because of personality issues or unfounded roumers  
I have wanted to say "The %^&* with it"

Thank the powers that be there has always been someone to talk to and put  
my thinking back into perspective. I have discovered dicisions made in  
anger, while hurt or out of fear are normaly not the right ones. today  
when things have me upset I talk with someone,I try to leave the names out  
of it so I can work out my feelings with the situation. When I do this I  
do not say angry long, I can work out the problem find a solution and go  
back and enjoy the day. This does mean that when I get angry I often leave  
the situation, mainly so my mouth does not override my brain causing me to  
say things I don't mean, that I will have to go back and make ammends for  
latter.

My fiends, even stangers withing the society have often  allowed me to use  
them to vent or be sounding boards. this has helped to keep me here  
instead of running away. I belive the more we allow ourselves to  
communicate and work out our diffences the stonger we become.

I would say my only real pet peve in the society is when folks talk like  
they know me, when they do not spend time with me to get to know me. when  
they have made thier mind up about who I am bassed on the remblings of  
others or roumers.

I've always said if you want to know what I am about, or who I am talk to  
me. If you want to know about someone else talk with them. to do anything  
else is to practice Comtempt prior to investigation which can hurt a lot  
of people.  Unless you like hurting others then in my opinion maybe this  
is not the place for you. Roumers hurt people, the damage continues long  
after the problem had been resolved.


> 6. How long before you burned out? Why did you burn out?

Every 3 or 4 years

> Is there anything anyone could have done to help keep you from "burning
> out"?

Not realy, I find that when I'm feeling burt out if I take a few events  
off to rest, recover, talk with folks and put everything back into  
perspective the burn out phase does not last long.
Sometimes  the felling of being burned out fo me is overcome by switching  
gears and doing something diffrent for a while or setting new goals within  
the society and working towards them.

7. What do you get out of the SCA?

More than I could ever give back. I get freindship, a place to grow, a  
place to pass on what I've learned and watch others grow. I get to  
recognize my friends for thier accomplishments and Submit them for  
accolades. and every once in a while someone decides to  recognize me  
which always feels good. I get to sing for folks. I love music and here I  
get to perform WOW what a feeling. I've done so many things in the SCA and  
the personal feelings of accomplishment are amazing, but those pales in  
comparison to the feeling I get watching a someone I've worked with  
succeed in thier art, or thier endevor The feeling is Awsome and precious.

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

16 years. I fell though the cracks moving form base to base.

> and last but not least...why do you think that people should join the   
> SCA  and stay in it?

There is nothing else like it. For the fun, the education not only history  
but what they will learn about themselves. the friendships, the wonder,  
This is a place were anything can happen.  A place to try new things,  
exeriance new wonders. discover talents you may have never in you wildest  
dreams belived you had.   It is a place were they can dare to dream, and  
though action that dream could become real. Why sould they stay? You never  
know what will happen next and you could leave before the mirical happens.  
with all the Sca is it's good times and it's bad  I belive for each of us  
that have stayed thier is at least on miraculas moment in the soicety we  
would have missed if we would have walked away. I am human and I could be  
wrong. If  your new stick around we kinda grow on you.


Simone
-- 
When you focus on the Negitive that is all you see, when you forcus on the  
positive the world changes--

To view story in progress go to http://Writing.Com/authors/kyiare