[Ansteorra] Conversation starter...

[Jennifer]

I was much younger, about to be married, and was walking along the park in my home town Amarillo. I saw this group of people dressed in weird clothing and hitting each other with large silver sticks. I watched amazed at the movements and the overall enjoyment of everyone around. Someone noticed me standing there watching and walked over standing next to me, watching the fighting as well as he started to talk. He introduced himself (I can't remember his SCA name) and invited me over. This is where I met the group. Ofelia and Russell (yeah yeah, I know - bad with remember the names) explained everything they could to answer my million questions, then i was asked if i wanted to try it. I was so nervous, afraid i would get hurt, but the idea of dancing around with a duct-taped sword hitting someone that wanted to be hit.. was overwhelming. I still remember the excitement of putting on the armor for the first time, the feeling of the pinching from "armor
 bites", the excitement the first time i heard the ringing of the helmet due to a hit.. and I knew I was in it forever. 

The group there was so welcoming, offering to help me learn, teaching me how to fight.. i showed up every weekend over and over.

Then I got pregnant, and my husband (who hated the idea of me out there fighting) made me stop going totally - afraid that I wouldn't listen and injure myself.

Several years later, newly divorced, I ran into this group again after some searching. Ofelia immediately recognized me, as did a few others. I was amazed that these people, who didn't really know me from anyone else, would actually remember me - and welcome me back as if no time at all had interrupted. 

I started really paying attention, enjoying the group, loving the feeling of welcomeness, and learning once again about the art of heavy fighting. I went to the individual "classes" held to teach about how to make different parts of armor, I showed up at the fighting every weekend, and started to learn about the group on an individual basis. I fit in.. finally - somewhere that i actually fit in and they accepted me for who I was. I loved every second of it, then I went to my first event.

Lady of the Lake - OMG I will never forget it. I was still super new fighting, so wasn't allowed to fight in the tournament, but was allowed to don the armor after and beg for fights.. which didn't turn out to beg very much at all. I fought so long and hard, that I had bruises on top of bruises - mostly from the loner armor, some from the knights that enjoyed my bouncing around in a bunch of clinging metal while i tried to hit and be hit. Finally, when I literally couldn't lift my sword anymore - I was told by several laughing people that it was time to stop. So, begrudgingly, i did. 

Then came the feast. All i could think of was how can I repay all the kindness, and the ones that allowed me to fight - use the armor that wasn't mine, and have SO much fun ... so i volunteered to serve. 

I could barely move, every muscle in my body was screaming in pain... including the whelps i had joyfully received from the fighting. But I was so happy to be there, so wanting to help these people that put so much time into making sure I had every question answered. I was asked to serve the visiting royalty.. and told this was an honor. I couldn't have been prouder! I served with every limping effort I had, until i was told it was too painful to watch me continue and was forced to sit. 

Then I was memorized by the bards - and their stories. One actually started talking about what brought everyone here, that everyone started from the bottom, described this person with such excitement, i was looking around trying to figure out who they were talking about. This bard went on to explain how much enjoyment this person had in such a new environment, how excited they were for each and everything they saw, then he finished - and everyone looked at me. I don't know how many shades of red i turned once it dawned on me - that his entire story - was about me... but at that point i knew I would be in this group - or others - for probably the rest of my life.

Thank you to every member of Adlersruhe... you will always be my "home" in my heart!!

Kameraedh Of NorthKeep


________________________________
 From: Tina Michael <tinabetta at gmail.com>
To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org> 
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2012 4:28 PM
Subject: [Ansteorra] Conversation starter...
 
Many years ago I was working at Walt Disney Worl in Florida. I had injured
myself (long story involving a cat, a car motor and a severely sprained
ankle) (the cat lived, by the way) and I was manning a childrens activity
table near one of the attractions. A fellow who worked in the character
department approached me and noticed the picture I was drawing of my
own idea of a fairy tale princess and a conversation ensued. He said, "Wow,
you drew that?!"  Me,"Yep." He, "You need to join the SCA!" His name was
Johnathan  aka Valgard and he invited me to the Barony of Darkwater's event
that was to be held that weekend. I did not get much other information but
where it would be held.
I showed up at the camp late on Saturday afternoon and stepped into the
world of the Kingdom of Trimaris.  I did not know anyone there, I hardly
knew Johnathan, I mean Valgard, but id did not take long to make an
inpression. I had been sewing for years and loved going to the Ren Faire so
I already had an impressive wardrobe, the gate keeper scoffed when I told
him I was a newbie, but he set me up with loaner feast gear and gave me the
rundown on the event. And a group of ladies that recognized me from the
Faire quickly adopted me and guided me along. I left the next day with a
new hobby that gave me a reason to do my other hobbies, new friends and
opened a new chapter of interests in my life.
  How did you get involved in the SCA?

-- 
Any day above ground is a good day!
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