[Artemisia] question about circlets god help me

[LadyPDC at aol.com]

OK, Story time again <g>
 
When I first started coming to SCA events, I looked around at all  the other 
people.  Some were wearing crowns and coronets, nifty but rather  
intimidating.  Some were covered in danglies, either around their necks or  hanging from 
their belts.  Hmmm  also nifty, still rather  intimidating, but maybe I could 
aspire to that.  And some looked like they  knew what they were about but wore 
little if anything in the way of  danglies.  Those were the ones I felt 
comfortable enough to approach and  listen to, sometimes even talk to.
 
As time went on, I won a few awards and collected some site  tokens.  Each of 
these I attached to my belt or wore about my neck.   Hey, look at me, I have 
danglies which means I am moving up and becoming someone  important.  Pretty 
soon you could tell where I was just by listening to the  jingling and I was 
developing a callus on the back of my neck from holding up  all the neck jewelry.
 
Then, one day, as I prepared for an event and started untangling  cords and 
draping myself, I stopped and wondered what I was doing and why.   Did anyone 
really care how many site tokens I had accumulated?  Did I have  to wear a 
bronze lark so people would know I dabbled in the arts?  Who was  I really putting 
all of this on for?  I removed all but one and went to the  event feeling 
rather bare.
 
What happened, I met more new folks than I had before because they  weren't 
intimidated by me.  No one said, Hey Constance where are all of  your awards 
and why aren't you wearing them, get home and put them  on.
 
Now when I wear awards to an event it is because it is appropriate  to the 
event or to my persona or because my wearing of it means something to  me.
 
That is how I see the circlet thing.  On the one hand, if we  had circlets 
for every level, everyone will be wearing circlets except for the  newer folks 
and it will distract from the crowns and the coronets.  Not to  mention the 
fact that circlets are not appropriate for every garb or persona but  folks might 
feel pressured to wear them anyway.  On the other side, it  would be a very 
visible way to see that someone you thought was an AOA or an  honorable or 
something like that really wasn't and some forgotten folks might  get the notice 
and awarding that they deserve.  Also, right now, folks  whose persona or garb 
should wear circlets of some kind can't which is just as  unfair as requiring 
others to wear them.  So I straddle the fence on the  issue.  I would prefer 
to see them allowed if they match the persona and  not be an issue at all, but 
I realize that cannot be.  That being the case,  and knowing how intimidating 
such jewelry can be to a new person, I believe that  we are better off for now 
as a new and growing kingdom to not use them.  
 
Dang it,  I thought I chopped up this soapbox the last time it  slipped under 
my feet.  (picking up the soapbox and going off in search of  an axe - wasn't 
there someone named Axeman around here a while  ago?)
 
 
 
Lady Constance de la Rose
Barony of Loch Salann
Kingdom of  Artemisia