Suspended Disbelief

The answer.
Suspended disbelief.

The question.
Why do you do it?

There are probably hundreds of reasons that people get into historical reenactment.  Like a child playing dress up.  Playing "lets pretend".  I like the notion of pretending I am somebody else, from somewhere else living in some other time.  It isn't so terribly important when that time is, just that isn't now.  Sometimes I get very engrossed in the process of creating the "props" for the set and I forget to even think about why I do it.  This past weekend something happened to me that most people will not understand.  I was called into court at a local event, I front of friends and strangers.  I was given an award that nearly brought me to tears.  You see there are many awards in the SCA, but the one I was given was really the only one I ever really coveted.  I hadn't thought about it in a long time but when the moment came I was MAGIC for me.  I was given "The King 's Chalice".  It is and award given "to those that have displayed excellence and authenticity in their chosen field."  To some there may be higher honors, but to me there are none.  This is an award which is given out very infrequently which is one reason it is so special.  But more so to me is what it stands for.  To me it says "You are making magic".

To some who don't "play our game" this might simply look like a middle aged man on his knees in front of some
people wearing funny clothes.  That is not what it was for me. This was my MAGIC moment.  I was so wrapped up in the moment that for  while I  really was Ercc, from another time living in another place.

Later in the day, after dinner another moment happened.  The King, who is a man I respect, approached me.  We had a little chat and then he offered me a drink from the King's actual drinking chalice.  A brief private moment but which was so touching and magical for me.  I will always remember that moment.  When I think back on it I know that interactions like that... those snapshots in time are exactly why I play this game.  To be some place else, somewhere else, living in another time.  Some read to get to their special place.  Some watch movies to get away from reality.  Still others go to modern sporting events to cheer on their team in a competition purely for entertainment.   I go to the SCA.  I hope that I have the chance to some day help in the creation of a magic moment for somebody else.   It means something.

Magic is alive and well and living in the SCA.