[Ansteorra] Group Status Changes

Miles Grey Kahn at West-Point.org
Mon Jul 14 06:53:15 PDT 2008


My Lady,
I couldn't help but notice that the small part of your post that I 
quoted below is self-contradictory.  I'm afraid that's true for you only 
because you know Western Region people the best.  I know that I chose to 
attend an event in the Western Region about a year and a half ago.  
There wasn't a single face I recognized at that event.  There really 
wasn't a single person at that event who made *any* attempt to make me 
feel welcome.  I was wearing red and I'm 6'6" tall, so the odds that 
people just didn't realize that someone they didn't know was present 
just is not believable. 

However, I did as I always do - I looked around and found a couple small 
groups of people who looked like good potential targets for me to butt 
in.  And butt in I did.  Before long, I was having a very good time, and 
found the people to be delightful.  I thoroughly enjoyed the event.  But 
it was almost exactly the same as it has been with almost every other 
event I've attended in every region of our Kingdom where I had driven 
some distance and so was a stranger to the group.  Of course, even with 
high gas prices, it's becoming more and more rare for me to attend an 
event (at least in Kingdom) where no one knows me; I'm sure that's true 
of most people who can and do make the effort to attend events outside 
their region.  Have you made that effort, my Lady?  I ask because I do 
make that effort, and because I have been made welcome in every single 
region of this Kingdom.  I do not discount your experience - I only note 
that my own has been very different.  I cannot disagree that one is far 
more likely to find a large number of welcoming people when one stays 
within the confines of the region one considers home.  But I have not 
found any one region to be any more or less hospitable.  My first 
impulse is to say that the North demonstrates far more hospitality, but 
I haven't been able to be a stranger at a Northern region (or even 
Central region) event for years.  Strange, yes; a stranger, no.

When I attended my first Gulf Wars this year, I turned down multiple 
offers of help unloading and setting up.  But I also attend every event 
with the assumption that I will have to handle such things as unloading 
and setting up my tent by myself, especially if I arrive after dark.  
It's rare that someone doesn't pitch in and help out.  The problem with 
arriving after dark is that, well, it's dark.  It has taken me a while, 
but I have noticed that it's harder to see things in the dark.  That 
includes people who could use a little assistance.  When I made plans to 
attend Gulf Wars, multiple groups offered to let me camp with them.  
Such hospitality left me regretting that it was only possible for me to 
accept one such offer.  I was struck by the welcome extended no matter 
which regional or group encampment I visited.  That was also true of 
Calontir and even <gasp> Trimaris.  But to discover such welcome and 
hospitality, you often must seek it rather than expect it to find you.

You may continue to consider the groups of the former Western Region to 
remain part of the Western Region.  But I'm from the Northern Region.  I 
do my best to support as many events of groups in the North as possible 
(though a count at the end of the year usually reveals that I've 
attended more out-of-region events than Northern Region events).  I will 
extend that preference towards the groups new to the North and do my 
best to attend every one of their events that Real Life will allow.  I 
expect that there still will  be events where I will know almost no one; 
I also expect that I will feel welcome and have a good time at every 
event I attend, because I will make the effort.  I'm certain that there 
will be times where I will face disappointment and discouragement while 
playing this game, because that just can't be helped when people are 
involved in anything.

The next event I attend will be in Aldersruhe (unless Real Life throws 
something unforeseen my way).  They're holding their Lady of the Lake 
event the first weekend of August.  I hope you will be there, my Lady.  
After all, though they're now part of the North, Aldersruhe was a part 
of the Western Region.  Everyone not attending Pennsic should consider 
coming out and helping to make the event not only a great success, but a 
real blast.  I've even heard rumor that there might be free beer at 
their feast.  That isn't enough reason to attend in itself, but it does 
tip the scales in the positive direction for me because I like beer, and 
free beer is the best kind.

  Loving this Dream of ours,
    Miles Grey


Lady Grainne Kathleen NicPadraig MacDaniel wrote:

>If you want hospitality, go to the Western Region. If you want hostility, go somewhere else. 
>  
>




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