My Son John: Ren Fair

Dear John,

Have you ever been to Camelot?

I hear it’s a very silly place.

We didn’t go there, of course, but we did go to the Texas Renaissance Festival, which was almost as good.

I love dressing you and your sister up in costumes. You are both such beautiful children and any excuse to take pictures of you works for me.

It was also fun to take pictures of the other folks dressed up at the Ren Fair. We found some guys dressed in truly amazing Steam Punk gear, a couple of barbarians who still make their own armor and one very out of place Starfleet commander.

Your dad and Uncle Jon and Gram loved the great food and fine beverages available at the Ren Fair.

You were just glad to find the pretzel man.

I think your favorite part, though, was the blacksmith. I think you have a bit of a fascination with fire, little boy. You have taken to really noticing fire places and asking for fire in them. You seem to notice when people have a fire going in different places and you actually circled back to watch the blacksmith and his forge a second time around.

You wandered through the various booths and rode a ride or two. The pay-off for you patience as the adults looked at "no-no sharp knives" and pretty jewelry was the toy sword shop at the end.

Your Gram wanted to buy you a sword and wisely choice a foam covered "am-guard" type sword. We had not properly taught your sister how to "pull a punch" and I can't imagine the pain and anguish if she had gotten you that hard with a wooden sword.

But your dad and Uncle Jonathan intervened, demonstrated proper sibling sword play and soon everyone was having a wonderful time again.

I love the Renaissance Fair. It brings me back to the days when your dad and I were dating and we loved this sort of thing. I think it also brings your dad and your Uncle Jonathan back to a point in their childhood when they fought with swords and cast spells and argued about gazebos. I know it reminds your Gram of the days when she would regularly attend the Ren Fair and her love for fantasy that she shared with her boys and that her eldest shared with me.