A-Peer-Within-art - 6/4/00 ਀ഊ"A Peer Within" by Constance de LaRose. ਀ഊNOTE: See also the files: Fndng-T-Dream-art, SCA-The-Dream-msg, SCA-reasons-msg, magic-moments-msg, Getting-an-AoA-art, The-Peerage-msg, The-Blow-art. ਀ഊ************************************************************************ ਀一伀吀䤀䌀䔀 ⴀഊ ਀吀栀椀猀 愀爀琀椀挀氀攀 眀愀猀 猀甀戀洀椀琀琀攀搀 琀漀 洀攀 戀礀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 昀漀爀 椀渀挀氀甀猀椀漀渀 椀渀 琀栀椀猀 猀攀琀 ഊof files, called Stefan's Florilegium. ਀ഊThese files are available on the Internet at: ਀栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀眀眀眀⸀昀氀漀爀椀氀攀最椀甀洀⸀漀爀最ഊ ਀䌀漀瀀礀爀椀最栀琀 琀漀 琀栀攀 挀漀渀琀攀渀琀猀 漀昀 琀栀椀猀 昀椀氀攀 爀攀洀愀椀渀猀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀⸀ഊ ਀圀栀椀氀攀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 眀椀氀氀 氀椀欀攀氀礀 最椀瘀攀 瀀攀爀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀 昀漀爀 琀栀椀猀 眀漀爀欀 琀漀 戀攀 ഊreprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first ਀漀爀 挀栀攀挀欀 昀漀爀 愀渀礀 瀀攀爀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀猀 最爀愀渀琀攀搀 愀琀 琀栀攀 攀渀搀 漀昀 琀栀椀猀 昀椀氀攀⸀ഊ ਀                               吀栀愀渀欀 礀漀甀Ⰰഊ Mark S. Harris ਀                                    䄀䬀䄀㨀  匀琀攀昀愀渀 氀椀 刀漀甀猀ഊ stefan at florilegium.org ਀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀ഊ ਀䄀 倀䔀䔀刀 圀䤀吀䠀䤀一ഊby Constance de LaRose ਀ഊWhat is a peer? What makes one person a peer and another one not? ਀ഊIs it the fancy white belt? Or the pretty gold chains and necklaces? Is it the right sized head to wear a crown or coronet? ਀ഊHow does a person become a peer? Is it knowing the right people? Is it from doing all the work? Or maybe being more talented at something than other people? ਀ഊThey all have a very pretty piece of paper that says they are peers. Did that paper make them peers? Did it suddenly, magically change them in the blink of an eye? ਀ഊMost of us, reading the above questions boldly, would answer a resounding "no" and "of course not". So we all know what a peer isn't. We all know what doesn't make a peer. But what is it about these people that does make them peers? ਀ഊThe secret (as with most secrets) comes from within. Watch the best of the peers carefully and you can see what makes them different. Watch carefully, for the best just do it naturally. No need to flaunt it for, to them, this is just the way things are and should be. ਀ഊWatch Mary Amanda Fairchild. "Well sure", you say, "but look how talented she is". Yes, she is talented. But watch how she uses that talent. I watched her at the last coronation. On Saturday the musicians guild provided music for coronation and court. I am sure that Mary Amanda could have directed the guild through it all. I am equally sure that she could have designated only one or two additional performers to direct. Yet, watching carefully, I noticed that almost every member had a chance to direct. Would the performance have been better with only Mary Amanda directing? Possibly, and yet, she looked to the future of the guild and what was best for it's members first. She gave each member a chance to learn and grow. A moment to shine, a moment in the spotlight. I am sure that they are all better for the experience. The barony and kingdom will be blessed with a guild in which all members are constantly learning and becoming better. Not much spotlight for Mary Amanda, but spotlight doesn't make a peer. ਀ഊWatch Baron Niccolo. Last week at fighter practice, I watched him laboriously gather folks young and old together to learn how to dance. When he had a small group gathered, there was one young lady without a partner. So he became her partner. For the better part of an hour he showed them how to dance several medieval dances. It was lovely to watch and certainly added to the atmosphere. But, that is really nothing special. After all, many people do that sort of thing. Look more closely yet. Baron Niccolo had an injured leg that day. I don't know what the injury was, and it would take an eagle eye to have caught it, so well did he hide it. He did some stretching exercises prior to starting. And during the dancing you could occasionally catch a pain filled wince. But he noticed that his partner had noticed the wincing and covered it with a smile. After that you could only see the pain if you looked carefully at his eyes. A lesser person might have said, people aren't interested tonight, and just skipped the dance instruction for the evening. A lesser person might have just shown the students the steps and then let them do the dancing. Some one less than a peer might have stopped at the easy dance steps, instead of going on to the intricate footwork in the Italian version of the dance. But it takes a peer to place concern for the young lady and her enjoyment of the dance above his own pain. It took a peer to make her beautiful and graceful to all who watched, because you could see that he saw the beauty and grace within. ਀ഊOne of the best things about the SCA is the opportunity to learn how to be better than we are within. We have this opportunity because we have so many grand examples about us at every gathering. Do you want to become better? Then look around you at the next gathering you attend. Watch the lady with a beautiful lap harp who is allowing a seven year old girl to touch it and strum it and showing her how to play a simple tune. Watch the drummer who walks apart from the fun of the group and the beautiful dancer so he can privately help the newcomer whose fingers are itching to pound some hide. Watch the Queen whose toes are tapping with a wish to dance as she sits at a table behind a screen and illuminates an Award of Arms instead. ਀ഊFor what truly makes a peer isn't talent or tough hide or a piece of paper. It is a willingness to put other's enjoyment at least equal to, and often ahead of, your own. It is a desire to pass on your knowledge and talents to those who would wish to learn. It is the ability to do this with a smile on your face and a kind word of encouragement on your tongue. It is a caring about the SCA and the people in it. ਀ഊ------ ਀䌀漀瀀礀爀椀最栀琀 ㈀　　　 戀礀 䐀攀戀戀椀攀 匀渀礀搀攀爀Ⰰ 㐀㜀㐀㐀 圀⸀ 䌀爀攀猀琀洀漀漀爀 䌀琀Ⰰ 圀攀猀琀 䨀漀爀搀愀渀Ⰰ 唀琀  㠀㐀　㠀㠀⸀ ഊ. Permission is granted for republication in SCA-related ਀瀀甀戀氀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀猀Ⰰ 瀀爀漀瘀椀搀攀搀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 椀猀 挀爀攀搀椀琀攀搀 愀渀搀 爀攀挀攀椀瘀攀猀 愀 挀漀瀀礀⸀ഊ ਀䤀昀 琀栀椀猀 愀爀琀椀挀氀攀 椀猀 爀攀瀀爀椀渀琀攀搀 椀渀 愀 瀀甀戀氀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀Ⰰ 䤀 眀漀甀氀搀 愀瀀瀀爀攀挀椀愀琀攀 愀 渀漀琀椀挀攀 椀渀ഊthe publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also ਀愀瀀瀀爀攀挀椀愀琀攀 愀渀 攀洀愀椀氀 琀漀 洀礀猀攀氀昀Ⰰ 猀漀 琀栀愀琀 䤀 挀愀渀 琀爀愀挀欀 眀栀椀挀栀 愀爀琀椀挀氀攀猀 愀爀攀 戀攀椀渀最ഊreprinted. Thanks. -Stefan. ਀ഊ ਀䔀搀椀琀攀搀 戀礀 䴀愀爀欀 匀⸀ 䠀愀爀爀椀猀ऀ䄀ⴀ倀攀攀爀ⴀ圀椀琀栀椀渀ⴀ愀爀琀ऀ倀愀最攀 ㌀ 漀昀 㐀ഊ ਊ