We Are Fortunate

We are fortunate, you and I, to live where we do. Living in this country means that we can travel easily from town to town and state to state to visit the events we enjoy. Our roads are for the most part usable. Some of us are able to visit faires and festivals in other parts of the country by flying to them or having extra time while we are on a trip. Many of us are lucky to have relatives living nearby these events we get to stay with so we can spend money at these faires instead of for a motel.

This Renaissance/Medieval/Scottish/Irish/Viking/Celtic/Fairy passion within us allows us to dress out of the ordinary from most people we see. We get to talk with accents that some can understand and appreciate. We have learned songs that most do not hear. We have a wonderful inside track to appreciating life and not being caught up in the stresses of the Rat Race.

Our gate fees really are a bargain. It costs $8 - $12 or more for a two hour movie now. That amount can get a person into a lot of all-day festivals with many types of entertainment. One can immerse themselves in several different cultures in different parts of the faire instead of being exposed to just what is on a big screen.

The effects of attending a faire are fortunately, long-lasting. Back in the mundane world, hearing a faire song, seeing some faire character's picture, running into a faire friend or visiting via the intrawebs can bring back many fond memories. It can also help us get through long days as we know we'll be returning to fun times at a faire soon.

Being away from faire during the coldest or hottest months can give us not just a time to yearn to return to them or just appreciate them. It gives us time to work on our accents or learn new faire words that have fallen out of use. We can practice shooting our bows, singing new songs, work on our fencing skills or build new products to sell.

To further our involvement in this passion of ours, this year, we can bring friends or family who have never attended before and watch them "light up" at what goes on around them. We can find something to do where we can set up our own tent. We can get involved in putting on a nearby faire. We can tip performers a little more. We can belt out more "Huzzahs". We can dress up. We can also speak with an accent we haven't tried before.

Let us not take these events for granted. They are our history, movies and television shows that we help make come to life. They make up part of who we are and how we are known. We create and remember wonderful stories at them. Let's do our best to make 2019 a more remarkable year in this world that many don't get to enjoy (yet).