Enjoying medieval mirth
WITHOUT WORDS
The holidays are always a hectic time, doubly so if you’re a news dude like I am. Not only do I have to cover sports, but then there’s a seemingly never ending stream of holiday concerts and meet and greets with Santa and all sorts of other holiday themed events sandwiched in between.
It’s a lot of work to get one of those events off the ground though, and it takes a ton of people and volunteers to coordinate a concert, conduct a holiday program or put together a donation or moment to help the needy.
The people who pull these things off are the true unsung heroes of the holidays and saints who deserve their own holiday. Or at the very least, extra vacation time.
I saw a lot of wonderful things over the past weekend, and despite traversing out in the frigid cold, I got to see some pretty cool sights and sounds. I saw children greet Santa Claus some with glee, others with tears and some with downright skepticism. Hey, Santa gets around, ya know?
I saw people in the surrounding communities donate food and presents to the needy so that all might have a good Christmas. Students from Colby handed out food and gifts and it’s great to see that these young men and women understand the power of giving, and what even a few hours of time can accomplish.
Giving back is a privilege and it’s wonderful to know that the people in this part of the world understand that and give generously. I think perhaps our politicians and people in power could learn a thing or two about that, but that’s a topic for another day.
But my favorite event of the holiday, and one of my favorite events of the whole year, took place on Saturday and Sunday. I’m talking about the Madrigal Dinner at the Colby School District.
For two days the Colby Middle School gym was transformed into a medieval feasting hall, full of towers and wreaths and decorations. Members of Colby’s show choir donned medieval garb and costume and it was a truly fun and entertaining time.
It takes me back to my own college days, when I was a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) - basically a fancy way of saying people who like to pretend to be medieval royalty. I loved being in that club, and affecting a fake British accent.
The kids from Colby all did their best at an English accent. Some did well. Some, not so well, and they shall remain nameless, though they know who they are. When you go to the Madrigal it’s important that the crowd contributes, and I made sure to add my voice to the whole affair and tried to make things light-hearted.
Michael, Hannah, Kersten, Erin, Sierra, and any other seniors I am forgetting, you did a great job. I’m going to miss you guys at next year’s Madrigal dinner. Thanks for the memories!
M USINGS AND G RUMBLINGS
