Michigan hosts a rather large Renaissance Festival. For several years it was on my 'to-do- list each fall. Then I had kids and my cosplaying came to a stop. I began to see younger than me guests spending hundreds of minutes and dollars at the various pubs, playing the role I once played. Overnight I became the ancient mystagog no one was interested in hearing speak his wisdom on the importance of saving money or following proper etiquette in social arenas. Now my kids are grown and I might go back and give it try.
One year a group of my college buddies and I went with dates. We took in more shows than we had in the past. Ate a lot. Drank more. I had a woman ask me if I wanted to look into her magic box. I lewdly said, "And how might I do that?" She told me to give her two dollars. I did. She told me to bend over and look into the hole in her box. While I did, she turned a crank and a little pan chased a damsel through a groves of trees. My date said I could look in her box for free then held up an empty popcorn container to my eyes.
Later we took in a joust. There was nothing simulated about this show. Those guys went full-on at each other. The show momentarily stopped when one of the knights toppled from his horse. It was obvious it was not part of the practiced routine. He stood and raised a fist. We thought it was a fist in triumph and everyone in the stands cheered.
He waved us off and opened his fist. He held a rock.
"This is a stone," he said. "Supposedly David killed Goliath with one. Someone here tried to do the same to me just now. Unlike the giant, I wore a helmet that protected me from this projectile." He dropped the rock to the ground and walked his horse from the field.
The joust show ended.
A week later, a different knight lost his grip on his sword and it impaled a man sitting in the stands in the leg.
STUMPSTONE QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Use the stones thrown your way as tools, not weapons. --Motivational Poster
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