I spent the last three nights at the Trimarian Coronation event. This was the first event I attended in Trimaris, 14 years ago. I still don’t care for camps with cabins but I understand the need for air-conditioning. I don’t even stay at the events because it’s too hot and muggy. I just day-trip (or night-trip as the case may be) in for the evening and wander around singing. All in all it was an enjoyable time. I even stayed for an entire court!
People are often surprised that I do the wandering minstrel thing. They don’t understand the point. To me the point was illustrated quite well on Sunday night when I stopped by a group eating dinner. After several songs, we were exchanging gratitudes when the host said, “You have made this meal special for us by stopping by.” What more is there to say. I do it for moments like that or for the times when folk invite me to their camp, bring out the special chair without arms, ply me with beverages, and sit and listen for hours while I play and sing. As appreciative as they are, no less appreciative am I for the opportunity to be able to share my gift with them. I have a huge repertoire, over 170 songs. There’s about a dozen or so that get requested at every event but there’s some that only get requested every dozen events or so. It’s so gratifying to help people discover new songs, especially if they are actually old songs that no one else ever does. That’s why I keep doing it.
Today my fingers hurt from lack of calluses, my feet hurt from all the walking, and my arm and shoulder hurt from playing my 12-string drum. Either I’m getting old or I have to practice more to keep in shape. I think I’ll go with the “practice more” idea.
Not sure what events I’ll be attending next, probably Village Fair and Panhandle Skirmishes. Perhaps I’ll see you there.
Not a Bard 