[Ansteorra] Conversation starter...

[SBarrett]

>  How did you get involved in the SCA?
>
> -- 
> Any day above ground is a good day!
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I was hanging out with a close friend in the summer of 1990, and as we were 
driving around, he stopped by the home of an aquaintence and we visited for 
a few minutes. My friend's friend mentioned he was going away for the 
weekend, to an event held by the SCA.
I asked for details.
After attempting to descibe it, he stopped himself and said "Tell ya what, 
watch this."

He showed us a video of a local event, and it had everything - fighting, the 
arts, the meals around the fire, the revelry. People in all sorts of 
different costume from various medieval periods doing all sorts of stuff, 
living it for a weekend. It was more than just the battlefield, more than 
the dancing, more than the party. It was a succinct little video of an 
entire event, including the camps and socializing and the fellowship.

We were curious.

At the event itself, I recall being somewhat nervous. This could have been a 
front for a dangerous cult after all, and SCA could mean Satan's Church of 
America. This extremely enthused guy came up to me and my friend. He had a 
tunic for him, and a huge black hooded cloak for me. That was my loaner 
garb, the business casual choice of a Ringwraith. We were trusted with this 
clothing, it was ours to wear until we could 'garb' ourselves.
Massive kudos to the welcome wagon.

When the locals of Adlersruhe asked my name, I spouted Finnegan (not because 
of the song, but because I wanted an Irish name, and I'm a fan of an 80's 
film with Robert Preston, one of my favorite actors, called "Finnegan Begin 
Again").
Due to the massive, light-eating cloak, they took to calling me Finnegan the 
Dark so I adopted the moniker and was able to keep it heraldically, as 
Finnacan Dub.

Oh, and that enthused fellow who loaned me the cloak? They soon came to call 
him Sir Maximillian.

So remember, this is all his fault.
~Finnacan