Thoughts on a life

It’s one-thirty in the morning, and I have rarely been affected by the Friday evening before an event as I have this one. Crown List shall be held tomorrow inside the fort, and most of the pavilions of the contestants have already been set up.
I had thought that since I will most likely never fight in Crown List, I would step onto the field alone, and see if I could touch the power inherent in the field. There, under the stars, surrounded by pennons and emblems, I was able to sense an incredible aura. It spoke to me, of the courage and strength of warriors who were trained for battle, and longed for honor as they longed for nothing else with every beat of their hearts. I breathed deep the feeling of majesty, and reveled in it. Turning, I found I was not alone.
It was James. He also had come to contemplate the coming contest, and we talked briefly of it, about the sense of honor and duty that should be inherent in every armed encounter. Crown List is somewhat special, but it was his goal to meet each and every opponent with the same respect and reverence as he did on this field, and thus turn every fight into more than just an exchange of blows, but also a show of respect, and challenge. I will never forget what he told me. “Word fame is the coinage we trade, and it’s up to you to fill your pocket.”
He left shortly thereafter, but I lingered, climbing to the top of the fort so that I could enjoy the view of the coppery moon, very low in the horizon, which was eventually obscured by clouds. I thought deeply about this game we play, this dream we serve, this life we choose to lead. Most of us, myself included, are looking for something. What?
Escape from dull routine, the rut that becomes daily life; the rigors and toils of thankless jobs; a world without an understanding of our deepest desires (or even a want to understand them)… or more?

The opportunities for learning are literally limitless! The number of crafts alone are mind boggling, with nearly every material that can be thought of being made into almost anything that can be imagined:
Brewing various drinks like mead, ale or wine
Leatherwork into things like bottles, armor, bags and pouches, belts, boots and shoes, quivers and armguards, and even seats for stools!
Woodworking and carpentry for all types of furniture, such as beds, tables and chairs, cups and plates, tool and weapon handles, or musical instruments
Blacksmithing, or forging metals into weapons, armor, utensils, other tools, buckles and jewelry
Weaving things like flax into linen, to be used to make clothes, or knitting wool into things like scarves, sock, gloves, hats or bags, or making rope from hemp

And there are so many others, like working with glass, or beads, and many, many other crafts… but what about those of us who don’t so much make as do?
The various forms of combat with weapons such as the sword, spear or glaive, and what I refer to as the Timeless Arts, learning to throw knives, axes and spears, and the sport of archery
In music, one can learn to play, sing or dance to period tunes
Or, if one desires to learn more about what life was like way back when, there is an infinite and inexhaustible amount or resources for whatever research one feels like, from certain people in specific areas in a particular time frame (what was life like for the typical Cheshire peasant in 1130? What did he do for work? For fun? What did he wear? Believe?) to rough overviews on the long term effects of key events, or the circumstances leading up to them (What events led up to the Christian army trapping itself into the disaster of Hattin? How did the Magna Carta shape the world after 1215? Where did John Wycliffe get his inspiration, and who did he inspire, and what did they do, and who did they inspire, etc. ad infinitum!).

So the question remains… Why serve this dream? Why play this game? Why live this way?
For me, there is a search, yes; for learning, yes, for escape, in a way, but more for adventure! In the SCA, chivalry thrives, and one’s life is what they make of it, no matter what your background. Train for combat, learn a trade, know the camaraderie that comes from an honest-to-goodness feast, and experience romance in a dance where the only times you touch your partner are when you hold hands or link arms.
And in adventure can be found great things: skill, honor, loyalty, friendship and even love. But perhaps most of all, one finds themselves.
What am I capable of? What things will I learn, or learn to do, or make? How much honor can I win? How far will my name spread, and what will I do to make it known?
“Word fame is the coinage we trade, and it’s up to you to fill your pocket.”
No man knows the future. All he can do is live it.