Message-Id: <00f901be9aea$ed1d55a0$37f15ad1@maine.ime.net>
From: "Anne Washburne" <anastasia@ime.net>
To: <sca-east@indra.com>
Subject: Re: EK: War Points (fwd)
Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 09:42:18 -0400
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-Poster: "Anne Washburne" <anastasia@ime.net>

>-Poster: "Kasey Myers" <kaseymyers@hotmail.com>
> I have a question.  Please don't think I'm trying to be snarky here, I'm
>honestly asking and I'd like an honest, or at least forthright, answer:
Why
>is a Society that professes itself to believe in the values of chivalry and
>honor having such a hard time with chivalry and honor in on the
battlefield?


<<snip>>

> See, I'd like to know: was the act last year one of a few individuals who
>lost perspective?  Or was it a prevailing atmosphere? I understand that
>someone very beloved was lost before Pennsic--were those people disrupting
>things last year maybe letting their grief lead them in the wrong
direction?
>  I'd like to think that if it was just a few people, they are honorable
>enough to regret their actions.
>But if it *was* a prevailing atmosphere, then there's more wrong in the
>Society than the competitive drive -- we stand in danger of losing
something
>that makes this Society one of the finest organizations I've ever seen, and
>something that actually gives me hope for civilization:  the ability of
>people worldwide to take something of their own history, and not only learn
>to understand and love it, but to take the best parts and make them
>important.


Seonaid --

I wouldn't underestimate the role that grief played in last year's Pennsic.
Grief and the process of grieving makes people do very strange things.

Was it a prevailing atmosphere?  Hard to say.  But the death of Jafar was
certainly something that everyone there was aware of, and it was hard not to
run into someone, somewhere along the line (from many Kingdoms, I might add)
who felt they were competing "to honor Jafar".   And, I might add, to honor
Kenna, his Queen.  To give her the victory that they felt Jafar would have
also tried to give her.

But remember that grief can - and does - often alter one's perspective.
Those who are grieving will often latch on to unusual things that they feel
somehow "compelled" to do, because they feel the departed "would have wanted
it that way".  The grieving process involves very volitle emotions - not
only sadness, but also anger, and guilt.  And, in this case, I think we
should add in that perhaps the entire grief process had been delayed
somewhat (Jafar passed on around Christmas), as everyone worked toward the
goals of "Kenna's Reign" and "Jafar's Pennsic".

Yes, other factors were in play.  But the thing that sticks with me about
last year's Pennsic (other than the sight of the entire Eastern Army
marching off the field, banners flying and heads held high - a glorious
sight, and yet one I hope to never see again!) was the fact that I never saw
HRM Kenna doing a "public duty" - at a court or a ceremony - when she did
not at some point weep.  And yet there she was, dealing with not only her
own emotions - her own grief, perhaps her own anger at Jafar for leaving her
there to do this alone (also a normal part of the process) - but also
working hard to try and manage and rule her Kingdom and her entourage - who
were also grieving.

I wouldn't fear for the Society if I were you.  One should hope that this
particular set of circumstances won't be repeated again.  Those involved in
all this acted like humans grieving; like humans in pain.  They did the best
they could.  Perhaps some learned lessons, perhaps some didn't.  What
counts, in the long run, is not that we learn from these things, but only
that we remember.

Anastasia

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