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<DIV><SPAN class=118232611-28102006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Just
to restate what I already asked Brian (and as a general question), many of those
who enter the competition to be Kingdom Bard haven't had instruction OR
polish. The fighting community will tell you (and me and anyone else) that
we don't get good enough to be a champion by sitting on the sidelines and saying
"Someday...". </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=118232611-28102006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=118232611-28102006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>It may
be that we're hooking too much into being a competitor. I, personally, am
not a textbook example of a normal person entering a competition. My life
is not on the line if I win or lose, my reputation (hah!) is not going to send
me slinking off into the caverns of iniquity if someone is better than I am and
wins the day. I go into a competition with the thrill of seeing other
people who are trying very hard to do their very best work on the spot, and I'm
going to do the same. I get to see moments of magic and moments of
hilarity (Elanor, when you came out and did "Always the bridesmaid", I was in
tears!). I get to go up against that and if I lose, I've lost to the
best! And I can live quite comfortably with that. If I win? I
was at my best that day, and it was better than anyone else's, that day.
I've never fooled myself into thinking that I'm the best bard there is, I just
have "on" moments.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=118232611-28102006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=118232611-28102006>
<P><FONT size=2>In service to the dream with a song in my heart, I am,<BR>HL
Gerald of Leesville<BR>A bard of Stargate </FONT></P></SPAN></DIV><BR>
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<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> bards-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:bards-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Emily
Minier<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, October 27, 2006 4:31 PM<BR><B>To:</B> Ansteorran
Bardic list<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bards] Bardic college
Events<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=426482821-27102006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Some of us simply lack the confidence to try for Kingdom
Bard. Like me, for example. I'm comfortable at the Baronial, Shire,
Canton level. But I don't feel like I'm good enough to compete against
many of the bards on this list. I simply lack instruction and
polish. All I have is what I've put together pretty much on my own.
And, quite frankly, I don't feel like it's enough to be an honest competitor in
something like the Eisteddfod. That's a major difference for people like
me.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=426482821-27102006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=426482821-27102006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Nyx</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
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<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> bards-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:bards-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Robert
Fitzmorgan<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, October 27, 2006 2:00 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
Ansteorran Bardic list<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bards] Bardic college
Events<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV><BR><BR>
<DIV><SPAN class=gmail_quote>On 10/27/06, <B class=gmail_sendername>Simone
Ui'Dunlaingh</B> <BR></SPAN>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid"><SNIP><BR><BR>When
participation at Canton shire and Barnial bardics are greater and<BR>more
prestigious than the Kindom Estinfodd. we might want to look
ast<BR>ourselves and not outside our selves. I have seen Local Bardic
<BR>competions sport 30+ participants regularly when we cant get that
many<BR>to show for kingdom..WHY? What is the diffrence? Why would a bard
be<BR>willing to compete at a local level and not kingdom? these I think
are<BR>the questions we should
ask.<BR><BR><BR>Simone<BR><BR><SNIP></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><BR> I think it's a valid point. I certainly can
think of several local competitions that have more participation than Kingdom
Eisteddfod. So what do we do to make Kingdom Bard something
that more people want to strive for? <BR> For
myself, I haven't entered in several years. At this time in my life I
couldn't be the Bard that I think Ansteorra deserves, and I don't believe that
I should enter if I can't do justice to the position. Being Kingdom Bard
is still one of my unfulfilled goals, but I won't go for it until I feel I can
do the job well. I'm not entering local competitions either.
<BR><BR>Robert<BR></DIV><BR></DIV><BR clear=all><BR>-- <BR>"If you haven't
found something strange during the day, it hasn't been much of a
day." John A. Wheeler<BR><BR><A
href="mailto:Fitzmorgan@gmail.com">Fitzmorgan@gmail.com</A><BR>Yahoo IM:
robert_fitzmorgan </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>