Bring back your friends.

[CJDaley]

Re: Bring back your friends.

1. Brett Farve being traded to the Jets? Or Chris Daley becoming "another vendor"

Both men are past their prime and should have retired years ago... :wink_smil

[Old Reb]

Re: Bring back your friends.

A good friend of mine played civil war soldier for 25 years but no longer participates. It is not because of advanced age, for he is not yet 40. But he said that his ancestors only fought for three years and then it was over for them and they had the rest of their lives to live. So, he now treks the Ozarks with a flintlock and lives in a cabin he built by hand. Seems the authentic way out to me.

[MissMaggie]

Re: Bring back your friends.

1. Brett Farve being traded to the Jets? Or Chris Daley becoming "another vendor"

I apologize for getting off topic but...... I live in Wisconsin so I have to ask. Is this a trick question??? The entire state is somewhere in between mourning and blind homicidal rage.

[HeadLog]

Re: Bring back your friends.

Interesting topic for me. I'm one of the ones you would like to get back.

I was in the hobby through most of the '80s, got out at the end of the 125th Anniversary for various reasons. Now I'm interested in getting back in, but I'm still sitting the fence. I've been to a couple of quality events as a spectator and liked what I saw, but not sure if I want to start all over again.

What are the things holding me back? Here's a list:

(1) My waistline. I'm middle-aged now and my former 32" hips are long gone and won't come back ever again, no matter how much I diet and exercise. Walking around an event getting dagger-eyes for being a bit thick in the middle isn't an inducement to return to a hobby that is very "lookist" in nature.

(2) I'm getting gray. Similar to the above, I don't want to immediately be on the outs because I don't look like a young strapping soldier anymore. I could die my hair, but I won't. I earned those gray hairs and intend to keep what I have and collect even more.

(3) Fear of BS. A lack of good events and the endless in-fighting (what you now call "us vs. them") contributed greatly to my being driven out in the first place.

(4) Marching. Related to 1 to 2 again. I'm physically past long marches. I could happily be miserable (what an oxymoron!) spending two days sitting in a trench in blazing heat or pouring rain with mud or dust up to my butt. God, how I'd LOVE to do that! But I don't see too many Civil War trench warfare events being advertised. That's a shame. I'm sure there must be aging reenactors who'd like to be immersed in an authentic event but avoid too much marching. Trench events would be the answer to that, so I'm really surpised you guys aren't digging into the earth more.

(5) No thread-counting knowledge. I was a Jarnigan off-the-rack type of guy back in the 80s when "if-it-is-wool-it-is-authentic" was acceptable and having the right attitude, not the right thread count, defined you as an "authentic" reenactor. I don't know squat about hand-sewn button holes and I really don't want to know. I suppose that probably disqualifies me from the get-go to join the ranks of campaigners, but I prefer looking at awesome experiences not fabulous duds.

(6) Money. I could afford to get back in and travel to at least one or two long-distance events a year even at the current $4.00 a gallon prices, but I can't justify the thought of spending beaucoup bucks for a perfect sack coat that I want to be caked with mud and dirt. This is once again related to my desire to fight from an entrenched position.

(7) Picky personnal preferences. I'm not interested in attending early war battles, garrison type events, parades, or doing any type of civilan impression. I will not set up a tent until it is evening and only if it looks like rain. I complained bitterly about fixed camps back during the 125th and I still loath the concept today. But I realize for a campaigner that's probably a plus. (I guess sitting in a trench with a shelfter half over your head could be considered a type of "camp" but, again those types of events seem non-existant.)

[Dale Beasley]

Re: Bring back your friends.

Members of my Unit and I discussed through a verbal AAR of where we were, where we have been, and where we were we wanted to go. Now in order to do this we had to do a reality check void of false "atta-boys". Then...crawl, walk and run your way back to where you want to go....or in our case where we were.
Some of you may think that this is off the subject, but are we not talking retention?

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Bring back your friends.

I hold myself to some pretty high standards. As such my physical impression prevents me from participating in the top tiers of the hobby at events associated with this forum. I have come a long way getting in shape but I am in no way accurately representative of a mid 19th cent man.

Reading Mr. Conley's outstanding post reinforced a lot of things for me. I was hesitantly going to try to participate at Westville. I for sure do not want the level of accuracy or someones hard work preparing for an event to suffer on account of me.

Hell I ain't got that impression either. Reality check time. Wind out of my sails this afternoon.

[Andy Ackeret]

Re: Bring back your friends.

Not to stir things here, but this thread about "getting people to come back" has reinforced at least two people's decision to stay away...

"We're" our own worst enemy.

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Bring back your friends.

For the record I view Jim Conley's post and intended my post as a positive.

Know your lane.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Re: Bring back your friends.

Both men are past their prime and should have retired years ago... :wink_smil

That was a good analogy between Favre and Chris - Favre had almost as many incomplete passes as Chris has incomplete projects!:):):)

[SCTiger]

Re: Bring back your friends.

Well I did state your "friends" and I was thinking more along the lines that folks might leave for non-political reasons (jobs, family, economics, health) or pure burn out, but it would seem that a few of you are saying, "it's not worth coming back for, because of the politics, although I haven't quit". Which seems contradictory or damning in some ways. . Or that this topic further reinforces someones reluctant return. Now that is a stretch.

I unpacked some old calling lists and sent out some emails, in this attempt. If they are already out, you have the "no" answer as default. If you ask, you might get a yes. Then again we do have to offer something new for them to return to.
I just felt that we could re-contact people with new opportunities and less of a emphasis on trying to reform the "hobby" or rehash old battles. That's akin to buying back a used car that you once drove over a cliff.

[CJDaley]

Re: Bring back your friends.

That was a good analogy between Favre and Chris - Favre had almost as many incomplete passes as Chris has incomplete projects!:):):)

Farve isn't "that" bad.

[Western Blue Belly]

From the point of view of someone who is getting out...me.

1. Same thing every event...burn out.
2. I don’t care how "authentic" your event is...a fake battle is just that, a fake battle. I started off this year by making a commitment that I would not attend anymore battle reenactments. I fulfilled that commitment but I’m still not satisfied. No, I don’t want to shoot at each other with live ammo...but I cant handle the theatrics anymore. For me it’s really embarrassing to watch someone rolling around on the ground screaming for mother.
3. Same arrogant attitudes by some members of this hobby. Both sides has them. I’m down right sick of my mental capacity and my knowledge of the Civil War being judged based on who made my REPRODUCTION, will never be the real thing no matter who made it, facsimile gear. Some gear is really good, some is really bad, but I don’t like feeling that I have to wear a Nike logo on my gear to be accepted. There’s nothing wrong with Wal-Mart, as long as it’s correctly made.
4. Time. Weekends off (especially in summer) are near impossible for some of us working class, 30’s something types.
5. Have three other hobbies that don’t require a weekend off.



I could go on for a while, but I wont. Over all I’m just burnt out. It’s been long enough for me. When I started into this hobby 15 years ago I was single, had most weekends off, little to no responsibilities. Now, I’m married, two children, more then full-time job, mortgage, auto payments…etc. Most of you know the deal with that. What I’m trying to say is that for me what was fun as a younger lad, has lost it’s shine and sparkle. It's weird. There was a time that I would drive 11+ hours to go to a mainstream event, just beause nothing was going on that weekend that was closer. Now, I can barely get myself to drive to an event an hour away, and all the time I'm look ing for reasons to have to turn around. I guess I just plain old don’t want to play anymore.


Ken Zimmer

[red]

Re: Bring back your friends.

"We have met the enemy and he is us" --Pogo Possum


Ian Baker

[Abrams]

Re: Bring back your friends.

Ken, I can understand your reasons, and they are good ones. You did it for 15 years, and thats a good run.

Thanks for sharing your tent at New Madrid with me, and helping to show me the ropes, and teaching me a bunch about what to do and not to do at my first event. I'll not forget it.

And I'll keep my eyes peeled for you to make a possible return to the hobby in about 5-10 years. Keep yourself fit, and not allow yourself to get out of shape like myself, heh. I'll have some loaners for you maybe. :)

[Western Blue Belly]

Re: Bring back your friends.

"...in about 5-10 years".

You never know Ron. Right now i just feel like I've been swimming in circles when the rest of the pool is there. Civil War reenacting has been my only hobby and interest since I was 16! I've lived in the past for so long that I have failed to make friends outside the hobby...not kidding. I never knew how exciting and fun gadgets and gizzmos can be, never cared. I spent my last few years as a teen with my nose stuffed in a history book, my entire 20's doing the same thing. Day in , day out was the same thing...civil war. Maybe I just dont know how to balance my time, but I will not spend the rest of my time on this earth doing the same thing over and over again.