Something I realized yesterday
One of the reasons why I like reenacting is because modern life is complicated. We have too much going on, too many choices, too many things. When I'm reenacting, my choices are simple. I have less options for clothes to wear. My first priority in the morning is getting the fire going, putting on water to heat, and then starting the cooking. There's no question, it's what has to be done. There's less junk around the camp, because we have less junk. It's a little bit zen sometimes.
But now that we've been reenacting a while, everyone's been buying crap at yard sales and antique stores. And this year, the camp has been cluttered. Opening weekend we had an entire table COVERED in dishes that we never used. So we lost the use of a table, and had all this excess crap just out and in the way. Every time I walk into the dining tent, there's dishes and other gear spread all over the five tables we have set up (we have a sixth table that we never assembled this year. Too. Much. Furniture.). It feels like I'm spending way too much time stacking dishes and pots and putting things away to clear space.
And every time I turn around, people have spread their gear out all over the place again. The path to the back of my tent, which the cooks use as our pantry? Is where the guys decided to leave a barrel and a pile of stakes and hammers one weekend. I had to move them out of the way so we could get to the food. The one path to the "well" (our big water barrel)? Is where the guys keep spreading out the weapons for display. I have to keep moving them so that we can fetch clean water and dump out dishwashing water. And when they have a crowd of people listening to them talk? I have to interrupt and ask everyone to move.
*sigh*
I think that's one of the reasons why, while I'm having a good time this year, it's not quite as much fun as past years. The simplicity I'm seeking, just isn't there this year. I'm not escaping my cluttered house to a simpler past. I'm leaving my cluttered house for an equally cluttered encampment. We've talked about it, and I don't think I'm the only person who is going to be weeding their gear this winter and only keeping their most authentic items.
But now that we've been reenacting a while, everyone's been buying crap at yard sales and antique stores. And this year, the camp has been cluttered. Opening weekend we had an entire table COVERED in dishes that we never used. So we lost the use of a table, and had all this excess crap just out and in the way. Every time I walk into the dining tent, there's dishes and other gear spread all over the five tables we have set up (we have a sixth table that we never assembled this year. Too. Much. Furniture.). It feels like I'm spending way too much time stacking dishes and pots and putting things away to clear space.
And every time I turn around, people have spread their gear out all over the place again. The path to the back of my tent, which the cooks use as our pantry? Is where the guys decided to leave a barrel and a pile of stakes and hammers one weekend. I had to move them out of the way so we could get to the food. The one path to the "well" (our big water barrel)? Is where the guys keep spreading out the weapons for display. I have to keep moving them so that we can fetch clean water and dump out dishwashing water. And when they have a crowd of people listening to them talk? I have to interrupt and ask everyone to move.
*sigh*
I think that's one of the reasons why, while I'm having a good time this year, it's not quite as much fun as past years. The simplicity I'm seeking, just isn't there this year. I'm not escaping my cluttered house to a simpler past. I'm leaving my cluttered house for an equally cluttered encampment. We've talked about it, and I don't think I'm the only person who is going to be weeding their gear this winter and only keeping their most authentic items.