When the hell did pirates come along and co-opt renaissance faires? Aren't they in the wrong century, by like, a lot? This was the first renaissance faire I've been to since well before Lily was born. Back in my day (read: the early to mid '90s), the attendees in costume provided great people watching and musings (just who ARE these people? And what do the insides of their houses look like?), but now -- I dunno. I still enjoyed the people (freak) watching & musings, but if I want to see grown men & women dressed up like Captain Jack, I thought I just had to go to Disneyland.
Reading this over, I sound very anti-pirate. Totally, I'm so not. I just miss the bawdy costumes and vibe of the "real" Renaissance Faire, the one they used to hold up in Glen Helen in San Bernardino, and this year is in Irwindale. The faire we went to on Sunday down in Escondido was a smaller deal by a lot, but the kids, especially Lily, had a good time getting an eyeful of non-suburban fun & weirdness.
And by the way, the (literal) band of pirates above? They FELT it, man. Or should I say, these were some hearty damn hearties. My favorite part was when this dude whipped out a fake gun and demanded tips in his big pirate hat. But still -- knights, jousting, jesters, the Virgin Queen -- and pirates? It ain't right, I'm tellin' ya.
I'm not sure whether to blame Johnny Depp, Disney, or...Keith Richards.
I just saw your comment on dooce and had to come over. Do you mean to say that you know other mothers who think that motherhood isn't worth writing about, talking about, blogging about? At first I'm really stunned by that idea, but the more I think about it the more I realize it's probably the norm, for mothers to devalue their own experiences. After all, mothering has been devalued by our culture for centuries, maybe longer. We who speak up are unusual, not those who continue the silence. Thanks for speaking up.
ReplyDeleteHey, I just saw your comment tonight. You know, I've never had a full-blown conversation about blogging & motherhood. Let's just say that the occasional dropped comment I've gotten, or heard in close conversation, has been to the effect of: "oh yeah, my mom-blog would be SOOO interesting: today I swept the floor & made lunch."
ReplyDeleteIn my circle, there's almost a code of behavior that says: we don't talk about this too much. (Or else...?) It's all very Hallmark-esque, like the sentiments of those endlessly circulated and weepy e-mails that land in my box every week: "This is so hard, but SOO worth it!! End of discussion."
Thanks for the support!!