Re: Modern Personal Stuff

["Gabriella di Lorenzo Fiorentini" <hjurand@awod.com>]

Poster: "Gabriella di Lorenzo Fiorentini" <hjurand@awod.com>

>   Absolutely right.   I don't know why you people have so much trouble 
> with this.  Just don't wear the glasses.  If you are a poor college 
> student who can't afford glasses, fine.  Stumble around alot.  That's 
> what a period poor person would have probably have done.  And
wheelchairs,
> how can people actually show to events with these.  Any mundanes who saw
> a person in nice period garb but using a wheelchair would say "Who is 
> this idiot?".  Don't they have friends who can carry them around in a 
> litter or something?  Or if they don't, they should stay home (a much 
> more period practice, I'm sure).  All it takes is a little consideration
> and thought and you too can be authentic.   
> 
         I'm sorry, but "don't wear the glasses??"  What does that solve? 
It certainly doesn't solve the problem the person has initially, being
able to see.  "Stumble around a lot?"  Maybe it's only me, but I find this
line of reasoning amazingly closed minded...let's say that I could not see
at an event and was 'forced' to stumble around at events just to appease
some gentle's view of the Current Middle Ages that we are a 'Purist
Society'.  That would be fine if I my goal were to truly re-enact the
period.  But the fact is that it is not.  If I really wanted to be a
Purist, I would go to Europe and join a True Re-enactment, where I would
discuss only period issues, do only period things and pretend that
Civilization As We Know It Today had never existed.  But this is not my
goal. The fact is, we are NOT in the Middle Ages, this is the SCA, and
nowhere is it written that it is necessary to shirk modern 'conveniences'
like glasses (unless a person freely chooses to do so).  I would rather
not stumble around blindly in fear that I might offend someone's view of
the period they are aiming for, and I would prefer not to see others do
the same.  As for the wheelchair comment, as someone who once had to use a
wheelchair to get around (for a short time, which admittedly is nothing
compared to those unfortunates who must use one for their entire life), I
can say that the typical person is not going to look at someone wheelchair
bound that looks a bit unusual and wonder who the idiot is.  Why should a
disabled person be 'restricted' from participating in events?  Because
wheelchairs and other medical contraptions are not period??  I wore a Halo
brace for 9 months (an obvious modern necessity), and participated in
events while I was so confined...by this same coin, should I have just
stayed home and not participated, because someone's nose might have gotten
pushed out of joint?  No, sorry, I don't think so.  All it takes is a bit
of consideration and thought and you, too, can be compassionate.  
           Gabriella
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