Why Rendezvous?
If you would go to a rendezvous and ask several people how they got involved, you would receive many answers. Some would mention their interest in black powder rifles and pistols. Others would speak of their enjoyment of historical reenactments. Some would say they were drawn to it by curiosity or the challenge. Others, like myself, were drawn to the image of the mountain man and his independence, freedom and adventurous life.
Most of those interests are addressed at a rendezvous.
For the black powder enthusiast, there are usually shooting competitions. There might be a woods walk for those who want to test their wilderness skills. And there are "best camp" and "best dressed" awards for those who like the challenge of being historically accurate.
But if you would ask a slightly different question and ask WHY they rendezvous, almost all will say, "It's the people". There's a spirit amongst those who rendezvous that's difficult to define but easy to feel. Some of it is the freedom to be yourself and still be accepted by the others. There's the feeling that no one is a stranger at a rendezvous. It's a place where you can drop your defenses. It's a group of people you can trust, and find trust given to you. You'll definitely feel it at the end of that certain rendezvous when you realize you've already been accepted as one of us, and you can stop trying so hard to impress any of us. Your desire to join us has impressed us already.
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