[Namron] Re: [Ansteorra] Newcomers

[Duncan MacNamara]

The thing I found annoying as a newcomer was the:

"You can't do/use/have x, y, or z because they are not 100% period" Usually
force-fed to me by someone wearing a modern wristwatch and nike's...

I know that some of the things I do/have done are not 100% documentably
period, but if people are going to rag on the newcomer, they need to make
sure they are 100% period first. It's a game... some people are so anal
retentive about things that they can't have fun, or have to ruin other
people's fun. Yes, when I was a newbie, I was lost and didn't know what to
do either, but I dug in and found the answers I wanted. Then, of course, I
still get the problem today of "this or that isn't 100% period, so you
better not use/do it" when you see other people all the time who don't even
make an attempt... At least I *try* to remain plausibly in-period. You see
all kinds of anachronistic garbage at events. I mean... 90% of the tents you
see at events aren't period... shouldn't those people be ragged on? People
cook on propane stoves at events... what about privies and modern camp
chairs? The Period nazi's very nearly ran me off in my first year because
instead of answering my questions and giving advice, they had a tendancy to
force feed me, against my will, that everything I was doing was wrong. It's
not like I am trying to be a laurel... Or even get my sable thistle in
anything. I just want to play the game... I don't even *force* people to
accept my views on the SCA, or accept my personna, because I know it's a
controversial one. All I ask is that I be allowed to play the game in the
same relative peace that other people play.

 The beautiful thing about the SCA is that you are *supposed* to be able to
play at the level you want to/can afford... But when does the
anal-retentiveness stop? When I raise my own sheep so I can shear my own
wool so I can make my own thread so I can knit my own T-tunic? But wait, I
better grow my own tree so I can cut it down and have wood to carve my own
needles to knit with... but first I have to mine my own ore so I can smelt
my own iron and forge my own hammers, axes, knives, and other tools so I can
cut the tree down that I grew so that I could carve wooden knitting needles.
Yes, I am exxagerating a tad bit here, but someone a few months back was
picking on my garb because it was made of a modern material instead of a
100% period one. And another because my buttons are made from fake pearl and
too-late in elizabethan style to be a period button. And then there are
those who think that any type of button is not period. Or the people who
think that you have to *hand* sew all your own garb for it to be counted as
acceptable.

I mean... all that's *required* to attend an sca event is an "attempt" at
pre-1600 costume... But we're constantly bombarded with people analyzing our
personnas and clothing, camp items, arts, etc as if we were entering a
competition with them. *I* can handle it, but I know that some other newbies
are a little more sensitive than I was.

Here I am rambling again, so I better shush.

Duncan