[Sca-cooks] Re: holding doors

[GreyGoose]

On Tue, 19 Jun 2001, Bonne of Traquair wrote:
> >BTW and in a similar vein how about going into court.  Opinions on if all
> >women need tobe escorted into court
> >Maddalena
>
> Having been raised in Atlantia, I say of course.  I know very few Atlantians
> who would think twice about it.  I know a few non-native ATlantian women who
> refuse an escort, but it is confusing to those gentlemen stepping up to
> offer.  In Atlantia, if a woman appears to not have a personal escort,
> someone from her household, canton, or barony should step up, or if it seems
<snipped for brevity>

I, a usual lurker here, am hereby forced out of lurkdom by this statement.
I have been an Atlantian since well before there was an Atlantia (I know
why our kingdom newsletter is the Acorn instead of something nautical -
other long-time residents may know as well <waves gaily at Vuong Mahn>)

I personally feel that if *I* am the one being honored, then it is up to
*me* as to the issue of having someone accompany me forward. Am I infirm?
Am I unable to determine which way is the throne? Will I be waylaid on the
way up by bandits? Is there an impediment on the journey that I will not
be able to overcome? Then *perhaps* yes, I might need to be accompanied.
Otherwise, if I do not ask for it, I will be offended if someone forces it
upon me.  If my own personal lord is not escorting me, why would you think
that I would want *you* to do it? I will make this allowance - if someone
were to ASK me if I wished accompanyment, then it is my decision to say
yea or nay.  If someone jumps out and starts to manhandle me by grabbing my
arm, they might get unexpectedly introduced to the law of momentum, as I
most likely outweigh you.

This rant is brought on by the disparity of honoring people. Gentlemen are
not forced to be accompanied, and they are given the opportunity to enjoy
the individual spotlight of being honored.  By requiring a lady to be
escorted, it is implied that she is unable to do anything by herself.
Now, honors are supposed to be for individual effort, why must the
ceremony be diluted (see! I worked in a cooking reference!)?  I realize
that most who take the 'lady must be escorted' view do not perceive
matters in this light.  And you are well within your rights to think so.
But that does not take into consideration the feelings and beliefs of the
person you are forcing your views upon.

I am sorry to have taken up so much band-width on this rant, and I will
gladly take any replies to e-mail. Very occasionally something will push
one of my buttons, and I find that I still think I should respond, even
after waiting a bit.

Lady Janina Krakowska z Cambion, CoP
Barony of Storvik