I admit it; I'm eccentric! For example, when I shave in the morning, I use a bone handled brush that is over 100 years old, with a brand of shaving soap that has been unchanged since 1870 (Lavender scented). My straight razor is mid-19th century with whale baleen handles, and when I finish, I use an Eau de Toilet spray that has remained the same since 1770. I do cheat and use hot water from the tap though, rather than heating it myself. I can already see some of you shaking your heads sadly and wondering where my mother went wrong! "Just what's the point of all this?" you might well ask me.

The point is that when we reenact, we need to be aware of small things as well as large ones. We all have uniforms that are pretty good copies of originals. Our tentage and gear doesn't look bad. Our drill is a faithful interpretation of period drill. But is that enough?

While walking back from the authenticity contest at Secessionville, one member commented on how it made him ask himself, "Who am I?" in a way he hadn't thought about before. At least to some extent, who we are is tied up in the things we own and use. Or to put it a different way, the small things we own and do make us all different in modern life, and the same was true 135 years ago.

What do you keep with you at a reenactment? Do you have car keys, a plastic comb, and a chapstick? Or do you have letters from your mother and sisters back home, a few silver coins, perhaps some postage stamps, and other items from the 19th century?

Acquiring a few items of this nature isn't very expensive, but you may be surprised at how much fun you can have with them. Just a pack of period playing cards or perhaps some bone dominos can give hours of fun. A couple of years ago, several of us were playing poker with period cards while waiting for the battle to begin at Olustee... we drew a sizable crowd to watch, and had a lot of fun with it; fun we would have missed had it not been for that small pack of cards.

This is a chance for you to let your imagination rule. Don't copy what someone else has, but use this as a way to develop your own unique character. For ideas, you can look in books of pictures, read first hand accounts, and visit sutlers. Happy looking, and Happy Christmas!