Laura told me the worst camping story I’ve ever heard. For one F&I 250th reenactment at an original battlefield that had also been a 20th century industrial site, reenactors were told that under no circumstances were they to die on the battlefield, go barefoot in camp, or even wear leather moccasins because of the broken glass, metal pieces, and chemical contamination in the soil. That night, while sleeping, something much worse came out of the soil: beetles. They seek out warmth, and on this cool evening, one of the warmest places was human ears. One man had nausea and vomiting so bad from the beetle stuck in his ear he had to go to the ER to have it tweezed out by a doctor.

Laura slept with her hat over her ears for the rest of that event.

So why do people deal with the hassle? Reenacting costs money, time away from family, lots of hours in the car, and the camping is sometimes frankly awful.

Reenacting is a hobby like any other. Like quilting, marathon running, boardgames, or that weird thing you’re into that your spouse doesn’t like, a lot of it is about the pleasure of acquiring specialized knowledge for knowledge’s sake, the satisfaction of getting good at something, and talking about that thing you like with other people who are also into the weird minutia of it. The community that forms around that thing can be full of interpersonal drama or you can pursue many parts of it solo, but at the base of it the thing that keeps most people coming back is the community that forms around having a shared interest outside of work. (Tyson, 17; “rituals of reconnection”) I asked every single reenactor I spoke to if they’d ever thought about quitting, and if so, what kept them from quitting. “The weddings and the funerals,” one man told me, a sentiment echoed by almost every single person I talked to. It’s not about the history, but about the relationships made around that shared interest.

Joseph Ryan is a tall, imposing Irish sergeant in his British Army red coat.

Joe also calls me a couple times a year to catch up. We talk about my kids, Joe’s health, my mom’s health, the other professors Joe knows who I have never met, the far flung places in New York Joe is going to teach teachers, former NY governor George Pataki, the weather, reviews from teachers he’s taught, and recent news. Joe always, always asks me the same question: “Where’s the money, doc?”