We have a restored War of 1812 military fort near our house.
Per my recent conversation with an esteemed grad student at a large Midwest university,
the place is highly regarded as a historic site. A number of war reenactments are held there.
These stray from the 1812 era; they have reenactments there ranging back over
1000 years. The reenactment concept often strikes me as funny when I drive by the fort. I picture them
catapulting water balloons. Or, I imagine the conversations during some fake
shooting skirmishes: “Um, that one got you, man.” “It most certainly did not. I
got you.” Eventually, a fist fight breaks out between the two and they
have to stop the war reenactment to separate them…
One Saturday I stopped into our local grocery store and there
was a guy in there dressed in Dark Ages battle attire asking where he could
find some lighter fluid. Don’t get me wrong – I like hot dogs and marshmallows as
much as the next guy, but if you’re truly reenacting the Battle of Hastings
(1066), should you really have the advantage of lighter fluid? Flint and steel would seem more appropriate.
General Sherman said war is
Hell. So no, I’m not in favor of
reenacting Hell. As an alternative, I have started a Treaty Signing Reenactment
group. It won’t likely be as exciting as
war reenactments, but there will be less fake deaths and less arguing and
fighting, and we'll still get to wear the outfits. And we’re gonna have some cool pens. If you should happen to see me in costume at
the grocery store, it's probably because I'm purchasing lighter fluid for the peace pipe.
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