[Northkeep] A Reflection

Jerry Herring j.t.herring at sbcglobal.net
Tue Jan 25 06:53:47 PST 2011


Greetings All,
Many congratulations  to Mistress Talana's for her significantly awesome 
anniversary and many more thanks for all that she has brought to this society 
during her time with the SCA. 


The heartfelt words of this reflection have reminded me of my own first 
encounter with the SCA.  I had come to Tulsa visiting family; Keigan and Kevan 
who were at that time new to the SCA in Northkeep, that was either 1983 or 84. I 
had yet to meet any of their SCA friends that would happen at a gaming 
convention called OKcon but the real first immersion happened one night after 
that at the then home of  Misty and Tony Lackey. There was a regular group 
meeting of the SCA happening, needle workers I believe, bedecked in a tunic 
borrowed from Kevin I tagged along. There gathered in the front room at the 
house were Anton Thoth Ruk and his wife at the time Patricia, Alanna of Cair du 
Pard and Thomas Redhawk, Catrin ferch Gwillym and William Blackfox, These people 
were the grand ambassadors who introduced me to the SCA. As the evening 
progressed I sat there upon the floor of their livingroom listening and drinking 
in every "m'lord" and "m'lady" that they said. With every minute it became more 
and more magical. When I got back home to the farm in Missouri I started sewing 
my own tunics and cloaks...making my own swords and armor, they were all 
terrible. To my young mind wearing those shoddy old costumes and tin armor 
waving about wooden swords the adventures of Knights and fair damsels came alive 
and my world was forever changed. It would be several years in 1987 before I was 
able to really get involved in the SCA at the Shire of Standing Stones at the 
University of Missouri in Columbia. Every summer before then I returned to 
Northkeep and listened to the tales of events and revels and attended the 
meetings and learned. So I too know how Mistress Talana feels and would offer my 
thanks to Baroness Keigan and to HE Kevin and all those who so long ago brought 
this Missouri farm boy into the these modern middle ages with them. 


What is your story? Please share with you all your entrance into the SCA.

Most Kindly
Ian


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