Your opinions on first-person mindset

[Jake Marley]

When I first visited this site in 2000 or so, it was partly to glean some ideas about doing first-person. When I began seriously researching this most challenging aspect of campaigning, I adopted the following philosophy regarding preparing first-person impressions:

"To be a good soldier you have to be a good civilian."

Namely, Cincinnatus comes to mind. I could pontificate further on my own sentiments; but I'm more interested in hearing what others out there might think.

This seemed like the appropriate forum, and I consider it a different topic than the one at

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4139

Nic Ellis

[boreguard]

Re: Your opinions on first-person mindset

When I first visited this site in 2000 or so, it was partly to glean some ideas about doing first-person. When I began seriously researching this most challenging aspect of campaigning, I adopted the following philosophy regarding preparing first-person impressions:

"To be a good soldier you have to be a good civilian."

Namely, Cincinnatus comes to mind. I could pontificate further on my own sentiments; but I'm more interested in hearing what others out there might think.

Nic, I enjoy the challenge of doing first person, yet always feel like I cheat myself and for a whole host of reasons and usually have to break stride sometime during the weekend, however if I can keep the mindset for the majority of the weekend I feel better.

One thing that me and others in the 16th La. enjoy doing is reading period letters around the campfire. Many years ago, myself and a close friend begin transcribing letters for our research room at the Camp Moore COnfederate Museum & Cemetery, and of course I made copies of them. I figured that if we couldn't maintain first person by definition all the time, that we'd at least keep our activities tied to the period through sharing the letters (everyone would read a letter out loud to the group) and then conversation about the authors of the letters situtation and etc. would ensue.

This practice would probably draw the usual critics but it works to keep things in perspective for the fellows of the 16th Louisiana, and leaves the desire to discuss football scores and etc to others elsewhere.


Dennis Neal
Visit the Camp Moore Website at: www.campmoore.com
16th Louisiana Infantry: http://www.16thlainf.com/

[pprice]

Re: Your opinions on first-person mindset

"To be a good soldier you have to be a good civilian."

I'd have to agree with the above statement. I think if you intend to do any firper at all you have to have a decent background in the civilian life of the times. The GHTI has had the great opportunity provided to us by Rick Musselman to go to a near period working farm and learn various and sundry farming techniques. We spend a day or two doing this and really pick up some good basis for firper conversations in the future.

Of course you're not going to talk about farming every waking hour, nor is everyone going to be portraying farmers. It sure does help having that hands-on experience to base some of your discussion in, however. You actually HAVE some experiences to draw upon to make smalltalk, etc.

In my opinion, any well-rounded reenactor has a civilian impression they can pull out, as well as doing some off-event hands-on research. The two of these things combined helps to develop a better military impression, hands-down.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Your opinions on first-person mindset

Hallo Kameraden!

It has to be.

With the exception of "lifers" who are professional soldiers, the usual nature of soldiering is some term of enlistment. And rarely, is even a lifer's experience a continous period of war and warfare- let alone one who has enlisted "for the duration."

With the 3 or 4 year experience of CW army life, for most men it represented a brief, but "cosmic event in their ordinary lives." However, for most, they were civilians before, and they returned to being civilians afterward.

People are born with their genetics, raised, generally educated in some book and often much life learning. They have or once had, family and relationships; they have personalties, and personality traits and quirks; they are taught and or develop, character, religion, beliefs and opinions; they have likes and dislikes, druthers, expectations, and politics; they have health and illnesses, accidents and hurts; personal happenings and experiences; they have personal and family history; they have certain ethnic, racial, and personal features, looks, styles, and looks and styles for their dress and appearance; they have roles, positions, functions, and jobs.
Or some degree, or all or none of the above, and others.

Even the "lifer" was not hatched, emerging as the professional soldier from the womb. It took some of the above mentioned to get him there.

So, yes, if one wants to have a Believable Image (BI), Suspend Disbelif (SD) and be able to interpet history (IH) to and for oneself, one's comrades, and at times the public- one needs to be the "civilian first." Especially during the Civil War with citizen soldiers and volunteer armies.

Be the person first, the soldier second...

Others' mileage may vary.

Curt-Heinirch Schmidt