Event notions -- was Re: [Artemisia] Festering again, I see...

[Bruce Padget]

--- El Hermoso Dormiendo
<ElHermosoDormido at dogphilosophy.net> wrote:

> That said, there's a bigger problem here in my
> opinion.
> 
> This Kingdom just can't handle giving or recieving
> criticism.

Agreed.  Your lady and I have had occasion to be among
vocal critics, sometimes in agreement, others not.

I genuinely believe the among the sweetest words in
the English language are a gently spoken, "You're
wrong, and here's why..."

What I find interesting is that the criticism that
really ruffles feathers isn't when you say,
"Artemisia, you done wrong."  It's when one suggests
that Artemisia could be better. (My experience, at
least.)

> Secondly, I - personally - am actually LEAST
> interested in the "costume party" 
> aspect of the SCA[1].  There, I said it.  I
> recognize that makes me the 
> opposite of what appears to be the majority (and,
> no, I don't have any 
> delusions that I can or even should try to make
> everyone else change to match 
> MY tastes) but nonetheless it's true.  "Sitting in
> court" is not high on my 
> list of things I have an interest in doing either,
> I'm afraid.  It makes me 
> feel like a bit of a lone freak, sometimes.  On the
> other hand, the parts I 
> am MOST interested in seem to be less of interest to
> most people here.

Actually, I thoroughly detest the costume party.  The
choice, however, is not between structure and costume
party.

Highly structured events often lead, in my experience,
to costumed business meetings, which are the only
things that bore me more than costume parties.

Regardless of whether event time is structured or not,
the difference between costumed [whatever] and an
event is the imagination and intention of the folks in
it.  

So, if there's unstructured time at an event, I
believe it falls to the leaders (among whom I would
include all peers) in Artemisia to make that time into
something grand, at least in each leader's little
corner of the event.  

Just two examples -- last Saturday during the
tourneys, Mistress Maryam sang for a few Persian
dancers in a part of the site where they disturbed no
others.  Our musicians were doing what they do, as so
wonderfully described elsewhere by Lady Constance.  

If one wasn't involved in the tourneys, and wasn't
doing something beautiful, wonderful, and authentic
during that time, WHY NOT?  

If a peer who wasn't involved with the tourneys (or
other needed event work) wasn't helping others to do
beautiful, wonderful, and authentic things during that
time, WHY THE HELL NOT?!?  

When I've asked similar questions, a frequent answer
from newer nobles in our Kingdom is that they don't
know of beautiful, wonderful, and authentic things
they can do during free time.  Peers of Artemisia, WHY
DON'T THEY KNOW OF SUCH THINGS?

I've said in various fora that I go to events for
courts, feasts, revels, tourneys, and salons.  What we
see, too often, are business meetings, meals, parties,
athletic competitions, and workshops, just all done in
costume.  I have seen event staff try all manner of
grand planning and gimmicks to try to raise the
happenings at their events from the latter category to
the former, with much effort and little success.

My conclusion is that it's not the folks at the front
of the room that make an event, tho they can certainly
help set a tone (or ruin a tone, for that matter). 
Nor is it the various officers (exchequers, marshalls,
etc.) at their tables at the back of the room.  If an
event is going to be an EVENT, and not just a meeting
or party in funny costumes, it's the folks in the
middle of the room who decide that, by their
imagination and intention.

The autocrat doesn't decide between Niccolo having a
wonderful time and oddly-dressed Bruce being bored and
frustrated.  Nor do the hosting royalty.  Nor does the
schedule (or lack thereof).  I decide.

Regards,
Niccolo
Abbastanza Buon Non E Abbastanza Buono
bapadget at yahoo.com