This is a post about two ”trends” in the SCA that worries me. Perhaps trends is not the right word…
Perhaps tendencies is a better word.
All societies evolve and change over the years and to do that we do go through some difficult times.
And sometimes I have a feeling we forget that this is something we do for fun and on our spare time.
One of the things I have noted lately is how some people – they are not many but they do exist – that attend events seem to think they have booked an all inclusive charter weekend to a luxury hotel.
And to clarify – here in Drachnwald almost all our events are weekend evenst that include sleeping arrangements of some sort and usually 2 breakfasts, one lunch and one feast. We do provide food at most our events for all attendees that sign up for it and pay for it.
Many of us have health issues and allergies. Myself included.
For instance I have a hard time getting up to the top bed in bunk beds due to my fibromyalgia. So when I know that a site has bunk beds I inform the autocrats that if only possible – I would need a bottom bunk.
If they can’t provide me with that – I have to decide if I think the event is worth it for me. It is not harder than that in my world.
I can not expect that the autocrats create special arrangements for me – or build me a special bed!
My health issues and allergies can not become the main problem that has to be solved for the event organizers.

And when it comes to food allergies it is actually even simpler.
Some food allergies are deadly. I myself live with a man that suffers from nut allergy.
At some events we have brought him his own food. And that is nothing strange.
The people that cook the food at our events are not proffessional chefs. They are not people that daily handle food for people with severe allergies.
If there are nuts in many of the dishes served, they can not guarrantee that the nuts won’t contaminate some of the other food.
We can not expect the kitchen staff to cook special food for all people with dietry restrictions!
If we would expect the cooks at all events to cook food one to one for all allergies and diets (what I mean is that they would replace each dish someone can’t eat with something else) it would be an impossible task.
I don’t think it is unreasonable to expect that people with serious dietry restrictions are prepared for the fact that they might not be able to eat all the food at an event and that they might have to bring some food of their own to not go hungry.
It is about safety! Safety for the allergic person, safety for the people in the kitchen and about taking responsibility for your own allergies and diet – not making them someone elses problem.
Someone else that has given up a weekend of spare time to cook for a whole event.
Unreasonable would be if you had to pay for the food but couldn’t eat it.
With ANY food allergies you should be prepared for the fact that you might not be able to eat EVERY SINGLE dish during feast.
Feastocrats aren’t stupid – they will make sure you won’t go hungry – but you might not be able to eat everything.
I am sorry if I make anyone upset with my rant, but honestly – the SCA is a hobby and all autocrating, feastocrating, marshalling and other things is something that people do on their spare time.
Don’t forget that we rely on volounteers – if we expect the unreasonable there won’t be any volounteers in the end!

Now to a different rant and a different problem…
In the Nordic countries there is a norm in society that no one should think they are better than anyone else – this is called the Jante Law and you can read about it here.
This causes problems in many hobbies since honestly – there is always someone that is a bit better, a bit faster, a bit stronger etc.
Lately I have heard comments like: ”Some people only do things to get awards”. And I have heard it in many regions of the Kingdom.
Or people say they think that the SCA has become a competition and it is all about who has a new dress, a new tent, new shoes or a new recipie.
And it is sad that people feel like that.
Especially since the people that make new things all the time do it because they are passionate about their hobby.
Perhaps there are people that do things only to get awards – honestly, all people want affirmation and want to get a pat on the shoulder and hear that they are doing good, and in the SCA our pat on the shoulder is awards – but I don’t think that people spend heaps of money and time on something that they are completely uninterested in!
I would not spend HOURS flipping through pictures in the Bildindex and doing wide obscure searches on a topic I am completely uninterested in just to get an award in the SCA.
What I see has happened lately in the SCA, is that people GENUINLEY are interested in doing reaserch and to learn new things and to share their knowledge.
Sure, this raises the bar and sometimes unreasonably high – but is it really all bad?
We have access to so much more information theese days with everything that can be found online – museums have picture databases online – we can easily buy books from anywhere in the world through the internet! Ofcourse the bar will be raised with an increase in access to information!
And we also have so much greater means to share – now we can do it in a blog online and those who are interested can read about it. And those who might not have the money to spend on the book still get access to the information!
The blogs are not there to brag. (Well, most of them are not at least.) They are there so that we can share our finds, increase knowledge, discuss theories, ask questions and also to push ourselves to actually do the projects we set out to do.
To use myself as an example once again – I feel a lot more preassure to finnish a project if I have promised to write about it on my blog. I have a responsibility to my readers.
That is MY way of kicking myself in the butt.
And it does feel good when you see that you get many hits or reads on your blog. That becomes a pat on the shoulder. ”I must be doing something right – people want to read what I write!”
Before I saw tendencies for people to withhold information that they had managed to dig up. Sources were scarce all new knowledge was like finding a gold mine and who wants to share a gold find?
Theese days people want to share what they have learnt for the benefit of all. Actually – theese days it is better to put the information out there as soon as possible – that way you get to be first!

Another reason that things have changed and that people get new things is because many of todays scadians started as poor students many many years ago.
Now many of us are done studying, most of us are working and we finally have the possibilities to do all the investments into our hobby that we have always dreamed about.
Ofcourse there are members in the SCA that don’t have the same possibilities – but it is not a competition! We do it for fun and everyone has to adapt how they can play to their current situation.
And the situation can change – for all of us. Those that have to day might not have tomorrow and the other way arround.
Should I not get a new tent when I finally can afford it just because I have to think about all the others that can’t afford it?
Should I not make a new dress completely out of silk and research it really really well, now that I have found my area of interest, invested in books and have enough money to get the correct materials – because I  have to consider the fact that someone will be stressed by me showing up in a new dress?
Remember – this is a hobby, we do it for fun and we all have different means to practice our hobby.
Some are good at brewing, some are good at textile arts, some are good at metalwork – the people that are good at EVERYTHING are rare!
Find YOUR thing – that you like and that works with your current life situation. All of us have had to cut corners – all of us have had dresses out of sheet cotton at one point or another…
And put things in perspective.
What if we played golf?
Would we sit and complain that ”NN” always win the competitions because he has made himself a new fantatsic club.
”NN” just goes to the drivning range and practices to win competitions.
Damn that ”NN” he, just wrote on his blog how he has figured out how to play hole number 9 on that impossible golf course in Spain – what a prick to share that information!
Doesn’t it suddenly sound pretty silly?
If what others do annoys you – look the other way and play as YOU want to play. Not everyone has to play the same way.
So now some might say – this is easy for you to say! You have awards, you have a camp!
Well, I have not always had it.
I have worked hard for it.
And I know I might not have all of it one day.
Who knows – my fibro might prevent me from sewing in a few years.
Or be so bad that I can’t work or go to events.

This is a hobby. We do it for fun. We rely on volounteers.
Find the benefits instead of looking for things that annoy you!
Just imagine what sources you can get access to if you reach out!
Play the game the way YOU want and the way YOU can and stop looking so much to what others do.
That way I think one ends up a lot happier and a lot more content with ones hobby.