Barony of Dreiburgen - Article - Out of The Myths of Time: Time Well Spent

Barony of Dreiburgen

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Out of The Myths of Time
Time Well Spent

by Lord Darius "does cheese really age" von Tannenburg

Two things have happened to me lately that have presented me with the opportunity and the necessity of evaluating my time spent in the Society and the time I will spend in the future. I am, sadly, no longer a member of a fighting unit that I was a part of for some time. There was no big blow up and we are all still friends. We are just going in different directions that's all. The second thing that has happened of late is that I have had the pleasure of spending some time in the company of some relative new comers. While I have played for nearly nine years now, these fine folk I have been talking to are in their first few years. This has put me in the position of answering the odd question or two from time to time. I find that when I try to explain something, about the SCA in general or about one of the local groups and activities, I am also putting things in perspective for myself as well. When I ask myself "where do I go from here," I am also asking the same question a newcomer asks, when they ask "where do I start."

As I look around me, at all the wonderful and interesting things everyone is doing, I want to do it all. A more authentic (for my persona) encampment, better garb, new armor, the list goes on. But there is more to the SCA than just the really neat toys I can acquire. Once you have the big tent and period table setting, what then? What do I do with it all? This is where we differentiate between those in for the long haul and those just visiting. There are many activities in the SCA. Just look at all the guilds. What are those officer type people doing at the council meetings? What is going on there? The point is that there is a lot going on and a lot to do. If we don't find something to do, we will get bored very quickly. This is true as much for the Dinosaurs and woolly Mammoths as it is for those fresh out of the egg.

California's first lady "Maria Shriver" once gave a commencement speech at a women's only college. She warned the students against stressing themselves out. With her career and her marriage, and her children, I believe the lady knows of where she speaks. "Maria," told her audience that, yes, you can do it all, just not all at once. What if we take that bit of advice and apply it to the SCA? Then, given all that there is to do here, taken one or two at a time, it will take a life time to do it all. So, if you are new to the Society, take your time. Don't make the merchants rich over night. Learn to do and to make stuff for yourself. For those of us who have played for a while, maybe it's time to try something different. Has anyone ever taught a class at an event in the past, but, just not lately. Anyone ever host a work shop where you shared your tools and your knowledge, with someone new? For all of us who have been there, done that and got the T-shirt (I got a closet full), we have plenty of new folks and more coming, who have not seen everything in our bag of tricks. Maybe its time to take the old act out on the road one more time, before putting ourselves out to pasture. When putting together some research for an article on Dreiburgen history, I got a good observation handed to me from Thane Edwin. He said "people tend to fight and play, with those people, that help them get armored and trained." That is a simple truth that is often over looked. There are a lot of high-end, really well researched classes at collegium. Basic costuming, some metal working, beginner fighting and so on, can and should be taught locally. If it's not, then we should not be surprised when new comers go somewhere else to learn and to play. Dreiburgen Summer Arts could probably use some introductory style classes. The autocrat probably wouldn't mind. I might even share one or two of the things I have learned (maybe all three).

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Darius von Tannenberg has granted permission for all of his articles that were previously on the Dreiburgen web site to continue to appear on the site, 9 Oct 2006.

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