On Romance in the SCA

As the date grows closer to a particular special day, I am inspired to write some thoughts on finding romantic partners in the SCA. Please note, this blog is being written several weeks before the day, and scheduled to be published just as my Lady begins her walk down the aisle (because it seems somewhat fitting as a subject).

There is something of a tendency for SCAdians to find each other, in the romantic sense, or for partners who aren't part of the SCA to be lured in. I think this is excellent and effective and good. This shan't be a guide of how to achieve it, as I've only a small pool of experience there.

But, why does it seem to happen so often? There are a few things at play here.

Firstly, the SCA is a collection of vaguely connected hobbies, which makes finding a romantic partner with similar (or, at least, compatible) interests a somewhat simpler task, which gives you something to do together to build the connection. Even if two people are interested in different aspects of the SCA (such as my Lady's general disinterest in the martial arts outside of attending my tournaments appreciatively), there are plenty of chances to meet, such as at events (either during a feast, while watching some of the entertainments, et cetera).

Secondly, many people join the SCA through Colleges and the like, when they are in their late teens or early twenties, which for many is just the sort of time where they might be looking for a romantic partner. This certainly isn't a hard and fast rule, and certainly there are those who join the SCA at that age with a partner already, or without any interest in finding one, and there are those who join the SCA later (or indeed earlier) who find someone.

One of the great advantages of having a partner who is also in the SCA is simply in understanding. The SCA can rather take over your life if you let it (and your storage space too). If your partner is in the SCA, then gone are the questions of "why do you spend so much on that stuff?" and "where exactly do you think you're going to store it?" ... though they can be replaced with "how exactly do you combine two fabric stashes into one?"

 I am sure that there will be more thoughts on the subject to come, but I thought that at least some words on it would be a fine notion.