Friday, May 27, 2011

Going to the Faire


Last Sunday I went to the Mayfaire Fenaissance Festival with both daughters, my son-in-law, and my granddaughter. Bridget is only four months old, so it was her first Festival. We want to make sure she gets a rich cultural education!

It was a beautiful sunny day. We arrived about an hour after the faire opened, and people dressed in period costumes greeted us, acting in character. Even the parking lot attendants were entertaining! There were games, shows, booths, and lots of food.

Festivals like this are fun, but they come from a desire to escape the busy, goal-oriented lives we live. It's a return to simpler times. Of course nothing would make me want to give up a lot of my modern conveniences, especially my internet! But at a renaissance festival it's fun to listen to the music, (less complex) watch the games (the rules are easy) and stroll about with the most pressing decision being "What's for dinner?"

Being an avid reader and writer, I enjoy the festivals because my thoughts turn to tales about the knights in armor and the fair damsels. It’s a great place to stir my imagination. Granted, in my stories the armor looks a bit different, and the hoop skirts give way to kimonos. But the ideas of chivalry and justice are universal. The hero always wins the hand of the fair maiden, and the villain always loses. No matter the language, or the culture, everyone understands the idea of “Happily Ever After.”

On this holiday weekend, my hope is that the sacrifices of our young men and women in the service of their country result in a “Happily Ever After” for our world.

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