From another angle

As I thought about the inter-kingdom differences in people's views of Pennsic, I also realized there were differences regardless of kingdoms.

Several of my friends have already pointed out that the switching of alliances doesn't impact them at all. These are folks who come strictly to run their camps or teach or shop or display their A&S work. They are not married to -- or family of -- fighters, and the battles that many of us care so much about, don't mean anything to them.

I ma also unsure what impact the change have for folks outside the Midrealm and the East. After all, Atlantia and Aethelmearc have fought together and against each other before. So have, I assume, all of the other kingdoms. It seems to me there may have even been a year Calontir fought alongside the East.

This change and the reactions to it are reminding me that we all see the SCA through different prisms. I have talked about this before.

I think a lot of your experience in the SCA stems from where you break in and who you know when you start. I also find that I tend to look at people as I knew them when I came in. Lucan, say, was a knight and a king when I came in. Prince Kenric, on the other hand, was a newbie with me, so even though he will be king at Pennsic, I tend to look at him as a peer (with a small "p"). I hold certain views based on the views of people I respected when I broke in and of the people in the places where I live.

I am always fascinated in analyzing the SCA experience.