SC - questions/kinda long, sorry

[KallipygosRed@aol.com]

As we have seen on several occasions just since I joined this list about 3 months
ago, this subject has been discussed at length.  It is one that gets discussed just
about every time folks in the SCA get together...I know I've had the discussion
many, many times over the 22 years I've been active.

No, I don't believe that all old-timers are unpleasant know-it-alls (if that's the
case, then it would include me as well!)  However, I have seen enough of them in
action to know that they are out there, and it only takes one to turn people off to
what we are trying to do!  I have seen newbies brought to tears by an inconsiderate
person who informed them in a very superior air that their garb was not period.
I've seen this often enough that I caution new folks who are about to go to their
first event about it, tell them to tell the offending individual that "....their
telling you that your garb is not period is not period!"

We even have trouble getting sites in our county because a very unpleasant person
attended a function....not even an SCA event, but a local celebration of Cavalier
times, told some high school students that their best efforts (of which they were
very proud) were not period!

And I don't believe that this is what Lars had in mind when making his comments.
I think, as is so often the case, we're getting embroiled in the problem of trying
to communicate via a medium that is imperfect, especially when it comes to conveying
facial expressions, body language and tone of voice!

I think we all need to be very careful of using generalizations, especially in
discussions of this nature.  Unfortunately, I think they lead to misunderstandings,
which is what I believe...and hope...this is!

Kiri

Jeff Gedney wrote:

> A Note to Lars:
>
> Oh, well, so you met the obligatory a**hole knowitall that every public
> organization is afflicted with at least one of, and decided that we
> are all like that????
> gee, thanks for tarring me with that brush.
>
> Sorry, but most of the truly LONG timers I know ( I have been in for 22 years,
> and I consider long timers to be people in since Pennsic "single digits") would
> not DREAM of being so rude.
> As a comparative long timer, thanks for tarring me with that brush, too.
>
> You might try giving us the benefit of the doubt...
> One idiot among us does not mean that we are all idiots, only that at
> least one of us is.
>