Friday, May 31, 2013

My Role in the SCA and the World, sort of.

Many years ago I joined the SCA which stands for the Society for Creative Anachronism. It is essentially a group of like minded people who dress, act, and recreate select parts and activities of the past, mainly the middle ages. We are called geeks, freaks, weirdoes, and many other names intended to stamp us with a derogatory title. That's OK because we really don't care. We have a good time, have great parties, make friends who are there for life, and really don't care if the rest of the world doesn't get our type of fun. Now, that has been said so lets clear the decks for what I really want to talk about. For many years I was an armored combat fighter in the Society. My weight, age, and some very poor knees that were bad when I first came into the world and never got better have kept me from putting on my armor for awhile. In truth I may never get to wear it again. If so, then its OK as I am not a "One trick pony". I fell back into some other things that I like to do, namely, archery, weaving, cooking, etc. and so on. I have always had good eye/hand coordination and archery came naturally to me and I have had some success with it. Part of that is that I also love to create and that includes my archery equipment. I try to put as much care and skill into what I make to use as possible and I also never hold back when making things for other archers. I also like to weave on small looms designed for belts, sashes and clothing trim. I started learning this skill in my teens when I was a Boy Scout. I never thought that I would be using it later in life or that I would enjoy it so much. It is a form of relaxation and meditation for me. There are days when I can spend hours listening to a radio or TV show while never looking up from the loom except to look at my dear wife or deal with a cat demanding my attention. I share all of this to pass on a simple belief of mine. I am not God. No matter if to your belief that is the great architect of the universe , God of Abraham, Ra, Odin, Jesus, Mohamed, or any other of the deities worshiped throughout the world and over the years. I am however, a creator. I get to make stuff. It is stuff that may outlast me in the world. It is as close as I am ever likely to get to being God. I create. There are too many people in our world that only want to destroy things. They destroy a forest for a road or shopping mall. They break windows out of old buildings because no is there to get them in trouble for it. They smash mailboxes, paint graffiti, cut tires, or harm animals all because of 1 stupid excuse or another. The most common thing that most people tear down is each other. Not just physically but also their self esteem and sense of worth in our world. I am a rebel against that type of thinking so I create. As I said earlier, I used to be a fighter. Not out of anger but for fun. We would help each other build new armor, make sure it fits right, smack each other with practice swords, compare bruises then eat, drink, and laugh with each other late into the night. But to be honest, I am a much better artisan and archer than I ever was a fighter. I do miss the companionship of the circle of fighters but I still have friends there. There is one thing, however, that I create that makes me immortal on this world. It is the greatest and most phenomenal that I could ever make no matter what my creation medium happens to be. My students. hose people who ask me and look to me in order to learn something from me that I can pass on. You see, I don't just teach others in how to be crafters, I train future teachers. There is a piece of me in everything that they have or ever will create just as some part of my teachers is in my work and in my instruction to them. My body will one day cease to work completely. My heart will stop and my mind will go dark but hopefully I will be eternal. If at least 1 person is still using and teaching what they learned from me then that is what will keep my spirit on earth alive. When the day comes that I am no longer among you on this world then please do me a favor. Lift a drink in my memory, tell a story about me that amused you, read something that I wrote or that reminds you of me, and for the love of all that is good and holy in this world and beyond, make something. CREATE!!! Love to all of my foodie, archer, weaver, fighter, creating family. Ronan

1 comment:

  1. I know of the companionship you speak of among the fighters when I have fenced and it is special. But we are creating family. The more we do, the more we interact... the more we create kinships that will last an eternity. Many Blessings Brother !

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