I recently encountered the age-old question of why this hobby appeals so much followed by the statement "You were born in the wrong century". The question is of genuine interest. Why would someone dress up like someone long gone to the sands of time? The second statement really is meant as a compliment that acknowledges an obvious idiosyncrasy in our personalities that take us far off the beaten path.
I've given a number of answers over the years. They are sometimes comical.
Q. "Why do you wear buckskin?" A. "Because blood looks more natural on it than it does on my clown suit."Sometimes, I gave what I thought was an erudite answer but their sleepy eyes indicated I had failed in my message by giving a history lesson. I also don't believe I was born in the wrong time. My Creator put me exactly where and when I needed to be. With all its problems and coming challenges, I enjoy life in this century and looking back to the past merely enriches the experience of who I am. After careful consideration, I came up with this.
Why We Love Old West Living History
It's because of a love for the culture and legacy from which I came. The American West represents a time and place where people from around the world came and built a new nation not from the "by-your-leave" of some landlord but with their own hands, wits, and inner strength. In the course of building this nation, the period of the American West represents a collision of cultures that accompanied sometimes good and sometimes disastrous results. Our ancestors learned from this. We continue to learn from it. The American West is where old prejudices of wealth, class, and ethnicity started to give way to an individual's worth based on the individual's action and merit. In all its greatness and imperfection, this era is a part of us and we are the fruits of that era. This is why our frontier spirit should be remembered and this is also why I do what I do. As I reach through the veil of time to touch the face of my ancestors, I realize that the face I’m touching is my own.We are a group of like-minded friends who travel the forests, mountains, deserts and plains learning and growing together in a microcosm of life. We ford rivers, brave storms, and fix the accidents as they occur, while savoring the smell of cooked game, coffee, and rifle smoke. At the end of the day, we gather round the fire to reflect on the tasks we accomplished together; share jokes; and prepare our kits for the following day. We have a tribe.
I want to thank those of a kindred spirit for being a part of this experience and I wish for many more years of it. Until then, keep your buckskin oiled, powder dry, and larders full.
You're all in my thoughts.
-Dave