[Ansteorra] was the saddness of the sca - Now the Awesomeness of the SCA!!!

[Ithilin Palandiriel]

Good people of Ansteorra,
 
I have been following these posts with great intrest.  My family and I are relatively new to the SCA (4yrs and counting)but have known some of you for more than 20 years.  I thought about joining when I was in college in Norman because the Faire was so much fun.  Who knew that there were weirdos like me walking the earth?!  But in 93 it wasn't the right time.  Again years later I was approached at my job by a customer who said she was a baroness and I said WOW ! Cool! This sounds like something I want to be a part of.  I did some checking but again, with a young family, it wasn't the right time.  Several years after that encounter, a crazy gypsy woman came into my life, declaired that we were sisters, dragged me and another co-worker off to crown tourney and the rest, as they say, is history.  I am having the time of my life. 
 
As a Minister of Children I have a bit of a unique perspective.  I look through the eyes of the children I serve and see all things they way we want to.  Does a 5yr old care if he's lobbing foam balls at his best friend's cardboard box fort?  No, he sees exactly what I do.  Its a fortified castle and he's aiming a ballista in an effort to bring down the tyrany of the invader.  How about that contraption that shoots marshmallows?  That is the coolest toy in the world to all the kids who came by my children's tent last year at Med Faire.  There were marshmallows EVERYWHERE! I have children's Haflas and will now start bardic circles for them.  I have Periodish toys for them to explore.  I let them learn on their own doing the things many of my adult peers are doing.  Do I care if a project on my loom gets messed up if I let a child explore weaving, not at all. This is how they learn.  My greatest joy is making the magick come alive for the
 children.
 
Do I notice the cell phones, tablets, or other electronic devices?  No.  What I see is someone using a scroll to record events for others to read, reading a book or other period task.  Do I see modern tents? Again no, I see hovels, castles, pavillions.  uncovered coolers are just a unique design of keg, and pop cans are flasks.  I am not saying that attempts shouldn't be made to cover these items to make them appear more period, heavens no.  All I'm saying is do what you can and try your best. I try my best with my limited means.  My garb isn't period as it most all of it is cotton.  My children most times appear in jeans and a periodish shirt only because they are growing so fast I can't keep up with their garb.  Are we having fun? You Bet!  Will I continue reaching out to newbies and the youth and trying to grow our wonderful society? YES!!!!!!!  
 
Let's all remember that the Dream is still out there wanting us to chase it and make it our own.
 
In service to the awesome children of our most AWESOME Kingdom and a believer in the Dream,
Lady Liadan of Patrin-Or
Wiesenfeuer Moc