Re: Atlantian problems..... (fwd)

[many waters cannot quench love <melys@cybernetics.net>]

Milord,

I do indeed advocate "turning my back" on those things which would 
otherwise make the SCA less fun for me.  My enjoyment of the SCA is 
remarkably independent of who's sitting on which seat at the moment.  I 
think what makes that possible is the level at which I play.  I hold a 
Baronial Office (Minister of Children - anyone want to swap ideas for 
kid's activities?) and was a member of the Baronial Rapier Guard, both of 
which I do because they're *fun*.  If either of them stops being fun 
*for reasons beyond my control*, I will happily find something else fun 
to do.  I doubt I could *ever* run out of other alternatives...  The SCA 
is simply too broad and too fascinating.

Politics, IMHO, is distinctly Not Fun.  A necessary evil, I'll admit - 
but not one that I have to wallow in.  For example: Sacred Stone is in 
the process of choosing a new Baron & Baroness (or one, or the other, or 
however).  I will cast my one vote in the polling.  I may even get off my 
duff and mail that letter I wrote to the Crown with my humble opinions.  
But in the end, whether my favorite or my least favorite ascend to the 
Baronial Throne affects me darn little!  I may no longer be Baronial
Minister of Children, but that's never stopped me from playing with kids 
before.  I've since moved out of the Barony, but not being in the Guard 
d'Argent wouldn't lessen my enjoyment of duello one whit.

Maybe that's simplistic.  Maybe it's even naive.  But I've found that 
overall it works better than the alternative.  I'm not advocating it for 
everyone; there are people who *do* enjoy politics, and I'm happy to 
leave it to them.  (Usually - and then every so often I make a long 
quasi-political speech like this one and bore everyone to tears.)  
But I *would* prefer that it not interfere with how I enjoy the SCA in 
general, and this list in particular - and if I have to sort through 
tens of flame-posts on politics to get to one event announcement, it 
will get a little old.

I'm probably growing excessively long-winded here.  My main point is: 
there are some people who enjoy politics as an integral part of the SCA, 
whether that means participating or intriguing or just complaining.  I am 
not one of them.  I see a disproportionate amount of the traffic on this 
list being devoted to an activity which a) totally doesn't interest me, 
and b) is causing unnecessary strife and discord.  I'm not in any way 
claiming that a) is a good reason to close the discussion.  But I *do* 
believe that b) is sufficient cause to suggest that someone, probably 
Leifr, collect the names and email addresses of everyone who *wants* to 
participate in the discussion, and create a distribution list from such 
so that it's not inflicted on the rest of us.

If you feel there's something wrong with the SCA, then *change what you 
can!*  If people weren't nice to you when you were a newbie, then go out 
of your way to be nice to the next newbie you see.  You can't *make* 
other people be nice to newbies (or support principalities, or...)  And 
there are jerks and power-mongers in any environment.  I happen to 
believe that it takes less effort to *avoid* them than to complain about 
them and expect them to change; that wasted energy could be used for 
something productive, like teaching a child 9 man morris. *grin*

Standard disclaimers about not intending to offend apply.  And I promise 
I only do this once a year when I'm sufficiently sick in the head...

						...melys, looking for that
						   asbestos mailbox-cover

angharad melys, free scholar
sacred stone / windmaster's hill
melys@cybernetics.net