Well, that was new and different

[hrj]

At Coronet this weekend, thread_walker won me a rose in the Tournament of Roses. It's been rather amusing to watch people react to the information that this is the first time in my entire 34-year SCA career that anyone has ever fought for me. It's been even more amusing to watch some people try to comprehend that I never considered this a lack. It made me overwhelmingly happy to have her do it, because it made her happy to do it.

(There have been a number of occasions over the years when I've wanted to point out to Certain People that one can live a perfectly happy and fulfilled SCA life without ever fighting or being fought for, but I mostly kept my mouth shut because I didn't want anyone to think that I was fishing for someone to spoil my perfect record out of pity.)

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I've never understood the fighting thing either.

[kareina.livejournal.com]

It made me overwhelmingly happy to have her do it, because it made her happy to do it.

That is the point, really. The thing that separates our game of combat from other martial arts is the whole "fighting for the honour of another" thing. There is more joy in fighting and earning a rose for a friend than there is in fighting in and of itself. Is it a lack to not participate in the combat by inspiring someone? No, not really. Is it cool to have a friend do better because you inspired them to do so? Yup.

[thread-walker.livejournal.com]

You inspire me daily. You were the first one I asked to fight for, afterall. (stupid rules).

[gunnora.livejournal.com]

I always wanted to fight, because I was a tomboy who liked rough sports. In Ye Olde Days when rocks were still soft, I fought on behalf of my Laurel, because I was in fealty to her. After I grew up and became a Laurel myself, I fought for friends, just because it was fun.

I do enjoy having friends fight for me at times as well.

I wouldn't want to fight for someone who would be uncomfortable with it, and I ask permission to do so when I do.

[broider-barones.livejournal.com]

never pity - but respect and recognition for the depth/quality of what you bring to our "hobby" - in short the inspiration - you were my inspiration for making a poppy run

[etaine-pommier.livejournal.com]

The thing is... you really would make the BEST PRINCESS EVAR! Precisely because of the spirit of what you wrote here. The fighting (and consorting) community does have unfortunate tendency to forget that non-fighters/non-consorts make up the *majority* of our game. (Not all of us, I hope, but a seeming majority.)

I can be as blind of any of us - I didn't expect that Janos taking a year off from fighting was actually going to increase my enjoyment of the SCA, but it really has!