I think it's time to let a few folks who read my blog (my loyal tens of readers) know a bit about the differences between Fred Wilcox and Frederick the Reckless. You see, if you know me from events, and only from events, you don't know me at all. Frederick the Reckless is a "Larger than Life( tm )" version of myself, and even then, not my WHOLE self. It is a persona derived from a few of my more boisterous traits, completely out of proportion. Frederick the Reckless is an arrogant, bawdy, cocky individual whom even I can't stand at times. He is my competitive nature, my outspokenness, my ego blown up to the point where he even disgusts ME. He's fun to play-- for a while. I can't even really stay in persona for a full event at a time. He's mentally taxing and sometimes physically exhausting to portray. Think it through: How tired would you be of swaggering everywhere, performing with fire or weapons, fighting, all the while flirting with every woman who looks good in a bodice? For a whole weekend? Funny thing is, if folks would drop by my encampment most times, they wouldn't find Frederick the Reckless there. Not even if I'm sitting in a chair outside my tent. Finding this hard to follow? Good. You're not alone. Even I have a hard time keeping up with him, and I'm the one playing him.
Now, I make some wonderful things-- Talons, shackles, leather garb and accessories-- and I take pride in my work. This is not something that most, outside of their knowledge of Frederick the Reckless, would view as arrogant. I am an excellent performer with fire or live steel weapons. I take pride in that, too. Again, not something that alone would make me seem arrogant. I am an okay fighter (once upon a time I took it more seriously, and was MUCH better then) but really would classify myself as mediocre these days. It is only my persona that makes me seem more proficient with a weapon in battle than I really am. It's more showmanship than anything else. I take pride in my ability to entertain. Once again, this is a trait that, viewed alone, would not make me seem arrogant.
It's only when you add this all up, and throw in a heavy seasoning of roleplay that I seem arrogant. But this is not Fred Wilcox you view when you are bearing witness to the grotesque bravado and rampant testosterone that is Frederick the Reckless. I have only one justification for Frederick's existence: I can back up every brag that HE makes. If Frederick says he can do something, I can back it up. It's that simple. I learned early in life that you shouldn't make brags you can't support. It only takes one person, one time, to say "Oh, yeah? Prove it," to destroy every last bit of your credibility. It's the fact that I have so many things I CAN back up that make Frederick seem more arrogant than even HE is. I am at once one of the most respected and hated people in the Kingdom of An Tir. For the same reasons. Either people wish to be like me, or they are too like me. To be respected by someone because they want to be like you is called being a Role Model. To be hated for the same reason? That is called Jealousy. To be respected by someone because they are very much like you is called Kinship. To be hated for the same reason? One is left to ask whether that person hates himself or not. But whether you like me or hate me, regardless of the reason, you shouldn't if all you know is the persona you meet at events. That's not me. You should get to know Fred Wilcox, and make up your own mind.
What is He? A rebel among rebels. Pirates in the Kingdom of An Tir are pretty much considered the rebels of the SCA. Their presence is looked down upon at many sanctioned events, to the point where some high-horse riding soap-boxers will even refuse to speak to a pirate. But when the trend drifts to the point where pirates run rampant, and every one and their respective siblings are portraying pirates at events, who rebels against them? You guessed it. Frederick the Reckless. You see, one can rebel against such a trend in two ways: You can either portray a PERFECTLY period piratical persona (DON'T try to say THAT three times rapidly) and dedicate your time to educating those not in proper period attire on how things were done/worn/carried... And lose a lot of friends for being a "Period Nazi." OR... You can portray a pirate so over-the-top that most other pirates can't stand you, and find out which folks are REALLY your friends. I'll give you three guesses which route I chose, and the first two don't count.
Who am I? A cornball. I was the Class Clown all through school. I took drama in high school. I had imaginary friends as a kid. LOTS of them. I wet the bed until I was thirteen. I play Dungeons and Dragons. I am, at my heart, a geek. Simple as that. I have been, in my working life, many things. Soldier, Security Guard, Gas station attendant, unskilled labor in concrete sewer pipe manufacturing, air valve manufacture, injection molding, circuit board assembly and warehouse worker. I am currently and have been for the past ten years a sheet metal finisher. I am a father, a husband, a friend to those who have looked past the veil that is Frederick the Reckless. I am all this and more, too many traits and features to list in a simple blog entry. Just, I imagine, like YOU.
Now, I make some wonderful things-- Talons, shackles, leather garb and accessories-- and I take pride in my work. This is not something that most, outside of their knowledge of Frederick the Reckless, would view as arrogant. I am an excellent performer with fire or live steel weapons. I take pride in that, too. Again, not something that alone would make me seem arrogant. I am an okay fighter (once upon a time I took it more seriously, and was MUCH better then) but really would classify myself as mediocre these days. It is only my persona that makes me seem more proficient with a weapon in battle than I really am. It's more showmanship than anything else. I take pride in my ability to entertain. Once again, this is a trait that, viewed alone, would not make me seem arrogant.
It's only when you add this all up, and throw in a heavy seasoning of roleplay that I seem arrogant. But this is not Fred Wilcox you view when you are bearing witness to the grotesque bravado and rampant testosterone that is Frederick the Reckless. I have only one justification for Frederick's existence: I can back up every brag that HE makes. If Frederick says he can do something, I can back it up. It's that simple. I learned early in life that you shouldn't make brags you can't support. It only takes one person, one time, to say "Oh, yeah? Prove it," to destroy every last bit of your credibility. It's the fact that I have so many things I CAN back up that make Frederick seem more arrogant than even HE is. I am at once one of the most respected and hated people in the Kingdom of An Tir. For the same reasons. Either people wish to be like me, or they are too like me. To be respected by someone because they want to be like you is called being a Role Model. To be hated for the same reason? That is called Jealousy. To be respected by someone because they are very much like you is called Kinship. To be hated for the same reason? One is left to ask whether that person hates himself or not. But whether you like me or hate me, regardless of the reason, you shouldn't if all you know is the persona you meet at events. That's not me. You should get to know Fred Wilcox, and make up your own mind.
What is He? A rebel among rebels. Pirates in the Kingdom of An Tir are pretty much considered the rebels of the SCA. Their presence is looked down upon at many sanctioned events, to the point where some high-horse riding soap-boxers will even refuse to speak to a pirate. But when the trend drifts to the point where pirates run rampant, and every one and their respective siblings are portraying pirates at events, who rebels against them? You guessed it. Frederick the Reckless. You see, one can rebel against such a trend in two ways: You can either portray a PERFECTLY period piratical persona (DON'T try to say THAT three times rapidly) and dedicate your time to educating those not in proper period attire on how things were done/worn/carried... And lose a lot of friends for being a "Period Nazi." OR... You can portray a pirate so over-the-top that most other pirates can't stand you, and find out which folks are REALLY your friends. I'll give you three guesses which route I chose, and the first two don't count.
Who am I? A cornball. I was the Class Clown all through school. I took drama in high school. I had imaginary friends as a kid. LOTS of them. I wet the bed until I was thirteen. I play Dungeons and Dragons. I am, at my heart, a geek. Simple as that. I have been, in my working life, many things. Soldier, Security Guard, Gas station attendant, unskilled labor in concrete sewer pipe manufacturing, air valve manufacture, injection molding, circuit board assembly and warehouse worker. I am currently and have been for the past ten years a sheet metal finisher. I am a father, a husband, a friend to those who have looked past the veil that is Frederick the Reckless. I am all this and more, too many traits and features to list in a simple blog entry. Just, I imagine, like YOU.
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
kristynamuch:
serenity225:
How the hell have you and the familly unit been? You've been awfully quite the past couple of months only stopping in to say some funny shit then gone again. I'm assuming real life is affording much happiness and fun so the interwebs are on the back burner.