[Ansteorra] courtesy

[nweders at mail.utexas.edu]

After reading a lot of the comments, I have something that may help the matter.

Rather than expect other people to become more courteous, the easier thing 
to do is to apply the message to oneself.  God knows, I need a few lessons 
from the ole clue bat as it were.

When I first get into the SCA, I was truly excited about everything and 
watched how I interacted with people... I said thank you, appreciated 
everyone, curtesied before the presence (thrones or people), asked 
permission before entering campsites, always asked before I sat in someone 
else's chair, etc, etc.  As I got older, (mentally and chronologically 
within the SCA, I started slipping.  It's so easy to go into a campsite 
when you know someone and not ask.  To interrupt a private conversation 
because well, you're older than dirt and expect everyone to know your need 
is more important.  Look at what you do and how you do it and try to 
improve one thing you do.  Maybe you need to stop and start thanking the 
people who serve you.  It's a small simple thing but if you did that one 
thing, you're helping to correct the situation.  I have my little self 
improvement projects.  One of them is to ask before I enter someone's 
pavilion or campground or if I have to, I apologise for doing so without 
lingering.

	People learn by example and by watching peers - either their social level 
or the Peers.  Rudeness makes it mark and it really is the one thing that 
sticks in people's mind.
	The bottom line in the SCA is that while it's cool being the King. or a 
Knight or a Laurel or even a Pelican, it's everyone's game.  I have more 
fun when people are nicer and I bet that people have more fun when I'm 
nicer as well.

	If everyone picks one thing and works on it.  We should see a general 
improvement overall.

Regards,

Clare St. John