TheBanyanTree: Faire Time

[Sally Larwood]

This all sounds so wonderful Russ.  No wonder you're so revved up to go.  If I were you I wouldn't miss it for the worlds.  Have fun and I'll be waiting to hear if you get up to just as much mischief this time.

Sal 

Sent from my iPad 

On 28/04/2012, at 12:39 AM, Russ Doden <russ.doden at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'm sitting here not so patiently waiting for the hours to go by today.
> You see, it is once again Faire time for me.  No, not Fair. FAIRE as in
> Renaissance Festival kind of faire.  The Ren Rat may be aging and not
> attend near as many events as I once did, but this is my "home" faire - the
> only one I not only attend, but am a performer at.  In a few short hours,
> I'll be loading the "Ox Cart" (that is my vehicles name during the run of
> the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival) and heading down to Muskogee.  (Yes,
> Muskogee, as Okie from)  The only reason I'm waiting for the hours to drag
> by is that a friend of mine that does spinning demonstrations (spinning
> wool on a spinning wheel) down there, and travels with me, doesn't get off
> work until 3:30.  I pity anyone foolish enough to stand in the doorway at
> her quitting time.  They would find themselves being run over in her mad
> dash for the door!
> 
> I used to be like that - when I had to be at work.  So called retirement
> has its benefits.  I can take my time loading and getting ready for the
> trip through time and space!  During the following 5 weekends, I don't book
> any metaphysical training classes or sessions for Friday through Monday.
> Friday I'm getting ready and Monday I'm recovering - those are MY days.
> 
> It is only a 45 minute drive in time to get to the faire site, but a
> journey from "reality" that can't be measured in miles or
> days/weeks/months/years/lifetimes.  Yeah, it is all make believe, but those
> of us (young and old) that are there in garb, we are there just to play and
> have fun (even though it is hard work).  It is such a huge break from what
> is "normal" for many of us from the rest of the year.  Somehow worries and
> challenges get left behind - and we try to get the visitors to leave their
> "reality" behind for the few hours they are there to have fun.  Those of us
> on cast (and that includes merchants and performers such as your humble
> scribe) can flirt and tease, cajole and pester, educate and entertain the
> "mundanes" (visitors in 21st century costumes, or just pieces of "real"
> attire mixed in with street clothes) with nearly total immunity!  Many is
> the time I have been flirting with some winsome lass only to have her
> significant other walk up.  Instead of telling me to get lost they will say
> something like, "do that again so I can record it" and of course I'm more
> than glad to oblige!
> 
> In truth though, I don't know who has the most memories at the end of the
> day, the visitors or those of us that make up the "residents" of
> Castleton.  Many are the memories I have of things seen and done that are
> just as bright and shiny today as they were when first made!  Some of the
> memories bring tears of joy, and some simple quiet smiles.
> 
> For me, it is a "once a year" time to be a real "musician" (though I call
> myself just a noise maker) playing my 12 string guitar and occasionally my
> bodhran.  At this event I'm the 3rd member of the duo "The Bedlam Bards."
> They are based in south Texas whereas I'm in Tulsa, OK.  That makes
> practices together impossible.  Our rehearsals are on stage - live - they
> are called performances.  We have played together at this event so long
> that most of the patrons think we are a trio.  I know their routine, and we
> step on each others routines all the time.  The audience thinks that me
> getting lost in the middle of a song is part of the act.  Sometimes it is
> real - especially when they throw a song at me I've never heard before -
> right in the middle of the set.  Sometimes I just get distracted by their
> antics.  We do try to mess each other up during the sets - and often meet
> with success.  I'm often the target of such antics too - after all, someone
> has to give the audience someone to identify with!  As we go through each
> set, complete with strings breaking on our instruments, lyrics forgotten or
> switched around, new verses being made up on the spot, or simply stopping
> in the middle of a song to take advantage of the opportunity to get a
> "victimteer" to participate with us, the aim is to have fun.  We entertain
> ourselves and let the audience in on it.
> 
> So, here I sit, waiting for time and space to shift, waiting for my vehicle
> to turn into the "Ox Cart" to travel to a different time and place that
> never was.
> 
> Your humble scribe,
> Andrus of the Bedlam Bards
> 
> -- 
> Enjoy Life By Living In Joy
> 
> Well Being Consultant
> www.rldwbc.com