I really do miss SCA heavy fighting. And for all the reasons possible, but mostly right now the laughter.
The armour is fun, but the laughter is better. While I was working at the computer today, I listened to the video of pick-up fights at Estrella.
And there was laughter. I’ve heard people less happy at parties. After those pickups, any party would have been a bit anti-climatic. When I glanced at the video portion, I saw Sir Geoffrey Scott and Jedon in the video.
Jedon was fighting spear and his opponent was fighting great sword. And both were fighting one-handed and blocking well. They must have thrown thirty shots between them, each one blocked until the end. And then they collapsed in laughter.
I remember that laughter was always there for every time I fought with Avalon. We laughed all the time, and for the oddest of reasons.
Pennsic was almost totally laughter. The Tuchux Charity tournament was a hard fight, but everyone was smiling and laughing, with some good natured verbal jabs when two fighters got wrestling into positions that would have made good blackmail photographs…
I saw Duke Gavin, a very respectable and noble gentleman, suddenly act like a five year old at Christmas and just enjoy every bit of life once he was in armour. His stride was bouncy, his smile infectious and his laughter was booming.
We play a game of tag and dress up in many ways, with wonderful toys we make in arts-and-crafts.
Please forgive the oversimplification, as I know there is more to it than that, but sometimes I think its finest moments are when we are back to kids playing dress up and tag.
It’s great fun to hear the laughter of people just letting the years shed off of them and act just like children again. I’m listening to video right now of fifty years of life just being shed off like a wet coat to reveal large children at play for the shear joy of play.
While it’s not exactly SCA heavy fighting, McTavish and I do sword and buckler work out here and there is a bit of the same feeling and same laughter.
The fountain of youth rests in our armour.
Keep fighting everyone. Keep laughing.
