[Sca-cooks] Overdocumentation

[Bill Fisher]

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 12:25:03 -0800 (PST), Samrah
<auntie_samrah at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >After all, the newest newbie has usually been warned about "period nazis" long >before they've ever met anyone who tries to do things really authentically

I was fortunate to start my SCA experience in a mostly relaxed shire
environment.
It is what colors my view of the SCA.  

I was at the Pennsic 25, I think, the one refered to as the "first Mud Pennsic."
I tend not to wear periodish footwear a lot of the time when I need to
be hiking around
a lot (something I am solving this year I think).

I was walking through the food court and this lady stopped me, and
started berating
me for wearing sneakers at Pennsic.  I slowly blinked at her, gave her
a smile and
said "Hi my name is Cadoc, what's yours?"  and abruptly extended my hand.  
She blinked and took my hand and introduced herself (I forget her name now).
I looked up at the sky and  commented how it was good rain, straight
up and down,
not the slanty kind that gets in your eyes.  She laughed and I bid her
good day and
she forgot about my sneakers. (I never understood how she detected
them under the
layer of mud though)

> Your point about the term "nazi" is probably well taken.  I will endeavor to come up with a more suitable term for judgmental authenticity buffs with bad dispositions, and invite everyone on the list to help.  Perhaps if there weren't so many "meanies" about verbally assaulting our "young ones", such warnings would become unnecessary.

I prefer to call them "martyrs"  because  they are martyring
themselves on the altar
of authenticity.  Noone asked them for the sacrifice of their time or
words, but it is there for
all to see.

> While I was apprenticed, my Mistress taught me a very important lesson.  There is never any reason to come away from an encounter with a Laurel with less than a positive impression.  I think it is something that should apply to all of us, not just members of the peerages.

I try to do that as much as possible.

> Early on in the SCA, I travelled with some very authentic people with Viking personas.  So much so that they preferred to use very limited spices--only those native to the region they were studying.  One thing that was pleasantly stressed was that this was how they chose to play the game, not how everyone should, and that everyone should make their best attempt....
> 
> I think sometimes we all need to be reminded of this.
> 
> Samrah

Yeah, tis how the game is played and there are many ways to play it.

Cadoc
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