Written by Honeyhush

This first article should be entitled “Why I Entered the Dork Forest“. I am one of those Civil War re-enactors. My husband had moved me back home to KY, from FL and we were bored. In FL, we had been very active. We were always going to the beach, theme parks, flea markets or out w/ friends. We got to KY and were living out in the country and couldn’t find much to do. We both love history, especially the Civil War era so my husband started looking online for local re-enacting groups. I thought the man had lost his mind! Reading about the Civil War is one thing, but actually pretending and playing dress up is quite another. I thought he probably wouldn’t find a group close to us or he would forget about it. Surely, the man wasn’t serious.

He was serious. He found the 5th Kentucky Infantry CSA Company E in the next town over. He e-mailed the group and got an immediate response from Terry Kidd, who invited us to a meeting that next Tuesday. I was not going to a meeting. No way! I told Michael he could go check them out & let me know how it was, but I was not going to a meeting of Civil War re-enactors. Those people had to be a bunch of crazy dorks. As a matter of fact the very night Michael was at this meeting I was watching Last Comic Standing. The comedian said never to marry a war re-enactor because then you have entered the dork forest. Not only have I entered the DorkForest, I don’t ever want to leave it!
The very next Saturday there was a re-enactment not too far from home. We drove over for the day. Michael had put together a great uniform, for himself. I had spoken to Terry’s wife Missy and she had said to bring a white shirt & black shoes. Within 5 minutes, that woman had me in her tent and in a hoop skirt. We spent the day at their camp and Michael got to fall in and fight with company, during the re-enactment. They loaned me clothes. They loaned Michael a musket. They fed us. They talked about how much fun they had camping and I told them I didn’t think we would ever be camping. I sat on a quilt and watched the battle and cried. Taps was played and I cried. I immediately loved these people and had a blast.
We went back the next day, for Sunday’s battle. We’ve been camping ever since we met those crazy Civil War re-enactors. Those people who are some of the best people I have ever met. They are more than friends. They are my family now. Re-enacting has changed my life in many ways. It’s a great hobby for my husband and I to enjoy together and I hope to share it with y’all through more articles so you can see just how fun it can be.