TheBanyanTree: Last season as a "regular" performer

[Russ Doden]

As of Memorial Day, I hung up my title as a regular performer at the
Oklahoma Renaissance Festival.  I had been thinking of this for a long
time.  It isn't because I don't enjoy it, because it really is a lot of
fun.  I just don't "bounce back" like I used to.  I'll keep having fun at
various faires, but as a patron or maybe special guest from now on.  I've
been messing around at Ren Faires for somewhere between 30-35 years so
don't see any reason to stop having fun at them just because I won't be
performing as a regular!

So this last season was a bittersweet one for me.  The guys I've played
with for over 15 years there - The Bedlam Bards - have treated me more than
just kindly.  These two guy perform as a duo at various venues doing their
Rennie music as well as their music inspired by the TV series and movie
Firefly and Serenity.  I've been part of some of those gigs too.  I had
been playing with other performers on the Ren Faire circuit for several
years before I started playing with them off and on at two different
events.  They always welcomed me and eventually I became the "third member
of the duo" - a title I liked to play with because it made people think.
I'll go back maybe one weekend next year as a special guest performer, but
not as an every set every weekend thing!

Time marches on though and new doors are opening to me that I really want
to explore, and if this year and the next few go as I hope they will, I'll
be super busy with my metaphysical teaching and such things as that.
Between being asked to be on the faculty at a retreat center that I'll be
helping open over the next few months (with a little luck), and being a
mentor for an on line Toltec training package, I'm very excited.  These are
opportunities that I still can't believe have dropped in my lap.  I guess
you could say I'm starting my 3rd (or is it 4th or maybe 5th) career!

Anyhow this year at the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival was fun as always,
but in the back of my mind, I knew it was my last year as a "regular
performer".  I had told the Bards of my decision before the season opened
and they kept teasing me that they weren't going to accept my resignation.
They understood though.  One of them is getting more busy with his
non-music career as well.  I told a few people here and there about my
decision during the first 4 weekends of the festival, and while everyone
was surprised, they all understood.  Especially when they heard my
reasoning.  There are so many memories that have come up over the years as
a performer there, but this last year seemed to offer more.  Maybe because
I was "paying attention" to all that was going on!

The last weekend was a very emotional weekend for me since it was my last
weekend for performing every weekend with The Bedlam Bards.  Also, Memorial
Day is very special there with a special noon parade that honors the Vets
and a special ceremony after the parade.

The last day there overwhelmed me. I never expected one of The Bedlam Bards
to make an announcement at Morning Meeting on Monday that this was my last
year as a regular part of The Bedlam Bards at OKRF. I wasn't going to make
any big general announcement as I didn't think it was that big deal.  He
thought it was a big deal though and made an announcement about it.  I was
stunned at the response. The outpouring that followed left me . . .
amazed.  Several of the principles of OKRF told me that I had a lifetime
free pass.  All I need to do is contact them and they will get me in!  That
is not something that happens to many who have been there.

Throughout the day not only cast members but patrons who have become fans
of our act would ask me why I was quitting when I was so young!  I would
tell them, "I just don't bounce back like I used to.  It takes me 2 or 3
days to recover from the weekend of performing.  I'm not 40 anymore.  I'm
not even 50 or 60, I'll be 69 this summer."  The response to that was what
really surprised me.  Most thought I was somewhere in my 50's!  It was
really funny with a few of the gals that are fans.  Several thought sure I
was only a few years older than they were (and they are in their early
50's) and as we talked were wanting to get to know me better!  Ego
strokes!

I was also very surprised that many of the younger performers came up
during the day to tell me I had been an inspiration to them and a few told
me they considered me to be a mentor.  I had never thought about it as we
would talk before opening ceremonies or before after hours events. We would
talk about how to deal with different situations or how to keep going when
you were totally drained.  All the cast helps the other members with things
like that, I was no different.

As I mentioned above, the noon parade and special ceremony that follows the
parade on Memorial Day is always special, and I always lose it emotionally.
I'm glad a specific fellow performer was beside during the ceremony me
because we both are deeply affected, and he has become a good friend.  We
were able to give each other support.  It was his last year as a cast
member too so we were also sharing that realization.

The bards pulled a break in routine during the last performance in the
Black Boar Pub (the adult pub show).  Hawke and Cedric (who are the Bedlam
Bards) honored me  with a few very kind words and paid me early for this
years gig . . . well, I lost it. Totally.  I lost it again when Cedric
slipped in a special verse in the last song.  That song is another of our
quite bawdy songs with verses that rhyme, but this verse didn't - because
Cedric wanted everyone to know how much I'll be missed.

Then at the Pub Sing (the last event of the day), after our last song the
guy that acts as MC of the set made one more announcement about it being my
last performance as a regular.  Everyone in the audience stood up and gave
me a standing ovation.  Yup, I lost it again.

The walk through cast and patrons at the gate after closing took me 20
minutes!  I was being handed from person to person for hugs, smoochies and
well wishes.  The outpouring of love from the cast and patrons overwhelmed
me.  One of the cast that I have known for a long time was giving me a
wonderful long hug and whispered in my ear "If you had known you would have
this many boobies pressed against you, I bet you would have announced your
retirement from performing at the beginning of the fair instead of the
end."  I had to laugh so hard at that because it was true!  It was just the
thing I needed to lift me out of my teary farewell walk!

I put a Facebook thing up a few days after the festival ended and have had
a huge outpouring of well wishes.  Something like over 40 comments of well
wishes have been added to that post!

Now that OKRF is over, I'm going to clean up my camping trailer, and get it
ready to put up for sale.  I haven't used it for several years other than
at OKRF so I may as well let it go.  I just don't enjoy camping like I used
to.  Camping from now on will be a cabin or hotel where I have flush
toilets real close, air conditioning if needed, and other niceties like
that!

So this is your humble scribe, Andrus of the Bedlam Bards, signing off.
Fare thee well wherever you may find your path leading you.

I'll be telling you about my new adventures as they expand!

Russ

-- 
Enjoy Life By Living In Joy

Well Being Consultant
www.rldwbc.com