SCA as a different 'reality' (was Re: [Sca-cooks] Responsibilities)

[jenne at fiedlerfamily.net]

> I'm thinking that a more apt anology is 'sca life' and a bowling league.
>While many people are vehement about their participation in the SCA hobby
>life, it does seem to occupy a different slot on the heirarchy of
>spiritual existance than participating in a church/synagogue/temple.  The
>distinction, agreed, has some limitations as it is presented; and needs a
>way to express the need to maintain regular contact with the physical and
>rational planes of existance and maintain perspective lest one develop a
>diagnosable personality disorder (happens all too often).

Ok, I think my background is showing through again... niccolo is right,
church is probably not a good comparison. But I think the SCA involves a
good bit more responsibility than a bowling league. Maybe the old saw,
"The SCA is a volunteer organization" applies here. If you treat the SCA
as any other VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION in your life, as well as a hobby.
I'd think that's a fair comparison. (Face it, if you ditch on a bowling
league without finding a backup, at worst you've inconvenienced, oh, how
many people? Less than 10?  If you ditch on a PTA presentation or SCA
event or Al-Anon conference or local music festival in which you had a
responsiblity-- without finding someone willing to take up the slack, you
snarl up the works for usually more than 10 people.) On the other hand,
neither of them should take precedence over a genuine family or job
responsiblity, as defined by one's personal relationship with your family
and job.

However, I have to be frank: the SCA does not make people develop
personality disorders. People develop personality disorders-- it just so
happens that the segment of the population most likely to develop
diagnoseable personality disorders tends to overlap with those likely to
join the SCA more than, say, the group likely to join investment clubs. (I
ain't saying nothing about bowling leagues.)


-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa
jenne at fiedlerfamily.net OR jenne at tulgey.browser.net OR jahb at lehigh.edu
"Are you finished? If you're finished, you'll have to put down the spoon."