At a certain point, there are only so many deer to spot and shooting stars to wish on. So we decided to hit the 101N to get a piece of the real action. Mostly, as we drove through Ukiah and Fort Bragg and Laytonville, we found trees, trees, trees and the occasional squinty-eyed shirtless man perched on the bumper of his bitchin' Camaro. But in Willits we were in for a treat: the Ren Faire was passing through town.
Many a time have I witnessed HCB go quiet and misty-eyed over the Ren Faire, as he imagines the bounty of handy crafts and heaving bosoms on display. One might say he has a lewd fascination. So with camera in hand, we paid our $10 per person and passed the threshold into Ye Olde Nerde Townne.
On balance, the Ren Faire is everything one might expect, not at all what HCB had hoped for, and yet something more than I imagined. It IS filled with period costumes, unicorn art, snarky jugglers and tent vendors shilling princess hats and wooden swords. "Rennie's" speak exclusively in Thous and Fie!s and Anons and M'Lady's. The bosoms, if heaving, usually precede ever more hefty body parts. There are plenty of people wearing skirts with no panties, but they are all dudes. And nobody is hot. In short, it is NOT a naughty strumpet photo shoot (sorry HCB), but it IS a sort of freak show.
Or, well, sort of. For the first 20 minutes, I could barely control my smirking. But ultimately, I developed a sort of kinship with these gentle folk. Because it occurred to me that the Ren Faire participant, like the eco militant, is just a nerd with a specialty. We are people who love to go deep with a subject, wearing our knowledge like a corset of honor. We are enthusiastic, passionate, and thoroughly unafraid of public display. Through our respective expertises, we discover not just a community and a sense of purpose, but an outlet for our creativity. Sometimes we bully our friends into participating, but it is only because we want to share our joy with them.
Friends, I guess what I'm saying is this: the next time I launch into my eco dogma, please know that it's only because I love you. And it could be worse:
7 comments:
talk is cheap. give me an eco dogma lecture while wearing a dress like that, and I'd know you really loved me
Have you ever considered a career as a snarky blog poster? I think this lawyer gig is bogus.
Did they have the "Soak a Bloke" or "Drench a Wench" booths? After hitting either a bloke or a wench with a wet sponge (WTF!?) that you have shot from a slingshot, you get the privilege of making out with that person. Fascinating to watch at age 11.
I think HCB would like the address of your ren faire. It sounds much more in keeping with his fantasy.
OK, but I was 11 and all the people making out with one another were really furry. And I am referring to the ladies.
16th century hygiene leaves much to be desired, methinks. Even at my ripe old age the episode sounds terrifying. I empathize with your 11 year old soul.
put your bosom in a corset and HCB in some panty-free leather pants and that Ren Faire would have become way hotter. i'm just saying.
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