Obviously, an interest in CW history played a part, but was not the catalyst that led to reenacting.

I convinced my family to attend the 140th Gburg reenactment as our family vacation; they were relatively willing after being "forced" to go to the battlefield two years earlier.

Being uninformed about the hobby, we were relatively wide-eyed for the event, even with noting some historical discrepancies, etc.  I bought my (then) 11 year old son a canteen, and myself a '63 Springfield.  

On the third day, after we had spoken to some reenactors, my son looked up at me and said, "Dad, can we do this?"

My son has Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism.  Most of his interests had to do with video games and avoiding dealing with other people ("Normal" behavior was hard for him to understand, especially social mores).  By getting into reenacting, he would have to socialize, interact with people.  We'd be spending time together as Father and Son, without the ladies of the family needing to be considered.  And, yeah, it fed the history bug in me.

Nathaniel being too young to be a rifleman, he determined to be a drummer.  He joined the middle school band to learn how, and we got him lessons with a local member of Camp Chase Fife and Drum.  Through encouragement from his comrades and slow but steady work, he's gotten good enough to be company drummer.  Even those in other units who have known him since we started have commented on his improvement.  His social skills have improved dramatically, and he's learning how to deal with other people.

Reenacting has been very, very good for him.  It gave him a setting where doing something "weird" was normal and acceptable.  It gave him people who would take him in and work with him, and allow for his quirks, while showing him some level of discipline needed to function in the hobby.

As much as I've enjoyed the hobby myself, I'm most glad about the transformation it has helped make in him.  

Quote :

flattop32355 wrote : Reenacting has been very, very good for him.  It gave him a setting where doing something "weird" was normal and acceptable.

Bernie,

What the heck to you mean by "weird"? There's absolutely nothing weird about this Hobby, or the participants. At least nothing I've observed!  

Seriously, that's a great story.