RE: Principalities (long & rambling)

[Razmus <azrael@access.digex.net>]

<<<WARNING: LONG and RAMBLING -- COULD HAVE been written more concise,
but the modest HUMOR would have been impared.>>>
> 
> Richard and I have been talking, and I thought that some of this
> might be of general philosophical interest to a broader audience,
> so I've jumped you all in in the middle.

   Well, since you are asking - I suppose I should toss in my own
drakma...  I will only point out my point of view, and my
observations.  
 
> Richard said:
> >Hypothesis: The insertion of lines between groups creates cultural 
> >barriers and reduces interaction.
> 
> Sure.  I agree completely.  So the question is, when is this a good
> thing and when is this a bad thing?  You cannot support that it is
> ALWAYS a bad thing--the lines between Atlantia and Meridies, or 
> the East, seem to be a good thing.

   I'm still relatively new to the society.  I rejoined in Sylvan
Glenn (WV panhandle), which by an odd quirk of fate has ended up in
East Kingdom - now Aethelmearc as well.  The individuals I am most
familiar with in the group (and as far as I know the active members of
the group) play in Atlantia most, non-Aethelmearc East Kingdom next,
then Aethelmearc.  Geography plays the major role in that, I think.
(If anyone has a map, find Sylvan Glenn, and look at its neighbors -
now factor in mountains...)  While I was in Sylvan Glenn, I attended
one Sylvan Glenn event.  The majority of the people I met were
Atlantian, and those that weren't were from Montvale (non-Aethelmarc
East Kingdom.)  I'm certain there must have been other people there
from other places, like Aethelmarc, but I didn't meet them.  And
Aethelmarc is now talking about becoming a Kingdom.
   When I moved, I moved to Highland Foorde in our own fair Atlantia.
When I travel to events, I usually travel South, or East - playing
mostly in Ponte Alto, Stierbach, Storvik, Sylvan Glenn and Bright Hills.
I'll even try to roam to Tir-y-Don, Rencester (I have the University marked
on my calendar), Black Diamond ('cause I started playing there the first
time), Lochmere, Wrattingham Lynn, Rochesburie, and Dun Carraig.  (I
hope I haven't forgotten anyone, I'm working from memory and my
calendar.)  Point is, I know there are East Kingdom groups closer than
many of these groups.  I do get the Pikestaff, and because I don't
know the groups as well, and don't know for certain where they all
are, I don't/haven't played with them.  Will this change as I meet
more people, and learn where the groups are?  Sure - but I certainly
feel like I'm missing out on meeting new people 'cause I have to put a
little more work into figuring out which events I can reasonably make
it too.
   Okay, you are saying, so this Razmus person is lazy.  *shrug*  I'm
certain that many people have no problem with crossing the
Atlantian/East Kingdom border.  As a newbie, I perceive a bit of red
tape in crossing the border...
   Okay, you are saying, but we are talking about principality borders
here, not kingdom borders.  Obviouslly Razmus isn't smart enough to
figure that out.  *shrug*  Probably, but I read dashed lines as less
intense solid lines... and once lines are drawn, they tend to
solidify.  Just as people pointed out that there was once a thriving
cross pollenation across the Atlantia/East Kingdom boarder, its slowed
to  a trickle.  (At my second event after joining in Highland Foorde,
a lot of people I knew had been in the society for a long time (well,
maybe not pre-dirt or "way before stew"(tm) or anything), were trying to
figure out who a knight was.  Now I expect just about all peers to be
well recognized (okay, not Pelicans - I don't usually recognize
someoen as a pelican, I might recognize them as someone who has done a
lot, and has thier hand in a lot of stuff to great effect, but not as
a pelican.  But his is beside the point.), and here there was a knight
who no one seemed to know.  Turns out he came from far off New
Jersey... it struck me a couple months later when I drove through NJ,
just how close it really is... and no one knew this gentle?)

   And I have a second reason, unrelated to borders, for being
predisposed to not wanting principalities.  Being the shy, nervous
sort, I'm made brass/tin hat dodging a bit of an artform.  I'm almost at
the point where I can make eye contact with a baron.  Knights I don't
know don't throw me into nervous fits (much) anymore.  But
Princes(ses), Kings, Queens, Dukes, Duchesses, Counts, Countesses, etc
- I try to bow politely and clear out with all polite haste.  (My mind 
goes to mush, my knees shake, etc.  Ya think maybe I take stuff to 
seriously? ;-)  I'd prefer not to have more important people to get
nervous around...

-- 
              Razmus the [Innocent | Pure] of Norwode
               AKA: Rich Weissler [azrael@access.digex.com]
              "Victim of a Random Shooting on the Infobahn."
It's always a good idea to be able to laugh at yourself....other
people are probably laughing at you anyway.            -Anonymous