[Elfsea] Something to think about...

[DonValentyn at aol.com]

Good morning,

I have a quick story for folks to think about.  It doesn't involve anyone
from Ansteorra, and isn't an attack on any particular group -- just something
that everyone should keep in mind next time you're at a demo or doing
anything interactive with the mundane world.

I spent this last weekend at the Conduit 2001 Sci-Fi/Fantasy convention in
Salt Lake City.  At one point, I was in the audience for an authors' panel.
A local SCA group was scheduled to use the room next, for a panel on
competitive fighting versus live role play.  Though the authors' panel hadn't
yet ended, two squires and another fighter decided to set up the props for
their discussion.  They entered the room in full armor, distracting people
with their presence, the noise they made setting things up, and the fact that
they chattered amongst themselves the whole time, oblivious to the fact that
they were disrupting a session in progress.  They did what they came to do
and walked out, never even noticing that everyone in the room was gaping at
them.

This certainly wasn't the worst situation in the world, but it certainly
wasn't the best, either.  There were about 30 people in that audience, plus
the 5 on the panel.  I doubt if they came away from the experience thinking
that the SCA is the re-embodiment of chivalry.  We looked a lot more like
rude jerks in armor.

Like I said, I've no desire to figure out who it was, what group they were
from, etc.  Just something for the rest of us to think about when we're in
public.

Regards,
Don Valentyn