Thanks for the Memories

New Market did not disappoint, it rained enough to make things interesting. It rained in 1864 when the VMI boys charged, it rained Sunday afternoon 25 years ago, it rained this weekend on and off. What is New Market without a little rain.

I wanted to take a moment in the blog to thank everyone for their kind comments on the last posting and on my anniversary. I received a wonderful anniversary present that I did not expect, throughout the weekend as folks came and wished me well they took a moment to relate their stories of their first event. I love to hear stories almost as much as I like telling them so bring them on. Click the comment button below and I will add them to the blog for other to see.

On Saturday afternoon I spent the better part of an hour visiting with Buddy Bare of the 8th Virginia. Buddy filled me in on stories of his 40 years in reenacting and pretty much caught me up to what I missed in the 15 years before I joined. Many will remember that Buddy was quite under the weather over the past year and we almost lost him a few times. I am happy to report he looks wonderful and may have more energy than I do right now.

I was reminded this week, while going through all the hoopla, of another story from my first months as a recruit. At my second meeting of Mahone's Brigade the colonel in command stood up and announced that after 25 years in the hobby he was retiring. My thought ... 25 years, damn that's old. It took Bobby Compton of the 28th VA to say it to me ... 25 years, damn that's old.

There is a lesson to be learned here, the farther away we come from being a new recruit we tend to forget how we felt when we first joined. The one thing I took away from this weekend was that everyone felt a little overwhelmed at first at this strange hobby. Next to paintball there are not too many social activities where you shoot at people for fun. Be kind to the new recruit, help them understand this unique hobby. We, as officers, often put personal opinions of events, other commanders and assumed politics in the way of these new recruits enjoying themselves and learning. While we do our best to look after their best interests remember that most new recruits just want to get into the next battle and burn some powder, they don't really care if the event commander once insulted you in some way.

So it begins, the big anniversary season. I did not get the t-shirts, bobble heads or even the Mariachi band for headquarters for all my adoring fans. What I did get was good times and good memories with good friends. That is quite a reward for surviving this long.