Dear Mistress Abigaille
Advice from a real Peer -
so it must be good!
Dear Mistress Abigaille,
I am a French Cavalier experienceeng marital problems. My wife wahnts to leeave mee because I (sob) wear more parfume thahn shee does and (wail) posses more frilly lace undees thahn her. Alors, but whaht ees a fop to do?
— Henri La Poofta
Henri, mon cher,Your wife, she ees no good fur you. She ees jealous, because you are so much prettier zan she. Ask yourself, are you better off weeth or weethout her? Her envy, it is like a canker bloom in zee garden of your soul. I tell you, mon cher, you would bee much happier weeth a woman who ees not threatened zat you are so in touch with your feminine side. Many of the lady fighters, zey are understanding. Or perhaps you will find comfort weeth a fellow fop, n'est-ce pas?
Dear Mistress Abigaille,
How can I get noticed in the SCA?
— Arthur de Vandelay
Dear Arthur,There's all sorts of ways to get noticed, it depends on what you want to be known for. I'll assume you're looking for recognition, not a "reputation", which is easier to achieve but harder to change. Here are some pointers.
1. Mind your appearance. Early or late period, clothes make the lord/lady, so make sure your garb is attractive and well taken care of. Can't sew? Then hook up with someone who can and barter. Warning: for some reason, most people assume that folks in fancy late period garb are stuck up. This is not always the case.
2. Perform random acts of senseless service. Service is not to be confused with brown nosing. You do not have to wash a peer's dishes to get your AOA. What I'm talking about is volunteering at gate, at reservations, or in the kitchen.
3. Get involved. Don't just stay in your encampment all weekend, do something. Take a class, watch the lyst, get out and meet people.
Confidential to "Shattered Doumbek Dreams": The charm of your musical instrument quickly wears thin at 3 a.m. Replace your broken drum and learn to restrict your rhythmic exercises to more reasonable hours.