Game versus hobby.
Read a comment on the Maunche list that got me thinking about something that I've put thought into before, and just decided I'd write about it for a while here, to get some of it out of my head.
The comment made was yet another referral to the SCA as 'it's just a game'. Now, I know I've been told this many times, and used the phrase myself, but someone made a comment, I believe again on the Maunche list, several months ago, that got me thinking, and the more I think about it, the more I agree with it.
The SCA isn't really a 'game' in the usual sense... and I'm agreeing more and more with the second comment that saying such trivializes all the work and research that goes into it. Sure, it's something we choose to participate it, and really, we have the choice of stepping out just as easily, really. For the very large part, there's no mundane consequences to what we do in the SCA. But everyone puts in at least SOME work into it, many put a lot of time, effort, money, and interest into their portion of the SCA. So to call all that a game makes it sound like what we do doesn't matter.
Rather, I think of it now as a hobby, which to me is a very different creature than a game. A hobby is something you do put time/money/sweat/whatever into, and you get enjoyment and learning back from it. Because a hobby that's not teaching you new things isn't fun anymore, really.
Hmm, I wandered off, now I lost steam.... I may continue this another time, then, rather than leave it sitting here on my computer like it has been for the last couple of days.
Now it's just sitting here waiting for work, and going over soon to pick up my paycheck! yay for money!
The comment made was yet another referral to the SCA as 'it's just a game'. Now, I know I've been told this many times, and used the phrase myself, but someone made a comment, I believe again on the Maunche list, several months ago, that got me thinking, and the more I think about it, the more I agree with it.
The SCA isn't really a 'game' in the usual sense... and I'm agreeing more and more with the second comment that saying such trivializes all the work and research that goes into it. Sure, it's something we choose to participate it, and really, we have the choice of stepping out just as easily, really. For the very large part, there's no mundane consequences to what we do in the SCA. But everyone puts in at least SOME work into it, many put a lot of time, effort, money, and interest into their portion of the SCA. So to call all that a game makes it sound like what we do doesn't matter.
Rather, I think of it now as a hobby, which to me is a very different creature than a game. A hobby is something you do put time/money/sweat/whatever into, and you get enjoyment and learning back from it. Because a hobby that's not teaching you new things isn't fun anymore, really.
Hmm, I wandered off, now I lost steam.... I may continue this another time, then, rather than leave it sitting here on my computer like it has been for the last couple of days.
Now it's just sitting here waiting for work, and going over soon to pick up my paycheck! yay for money!