Making a difference
HOW MUCH NICER IT IS WHEN WE AS INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS ARE INCLUSIVE RATHER THAN EXCLUSIVE. – TONY
There are two basic ways to experience our great hobby. No, I’m not going to discuss freelancing vs. prototype modeling, as they are subsets of a larger concern that I want to chat about with you on this occasion, and that is the social aspect.
Some of us are, for whatever reason, lone wolves. We tend to build one-person model railroads or restrict operating sessions to a small group of close friends. We don’t attend conventions, have almost no presence on chat groups or social media, and so on. Others are more gregarious and see the hobby as an opportunity to get together with like-minded friends during op sessions, National Model Railroad Association meets and conventions, Railroad Prototype Modelers seminars, and even occasional breakfast gatherings and vacation trips.
To each his or her own.
Something that surprised me, but shouldn’t have, when I became a model railroad magazine editor was the – I’m searching for a word – respect or admiration that other modelers had for magazine staffers. We were all greeted like long-lost friends wherever we went, and that included trips overseas. I was humbled by these gestures, and I still am. Readers seem to think we know more about the hobby than we do, but our real talent is in knowing someone who does know the answers when we don’t.
This, well, “courtesy” extends to the better-known modelers, who are usually better known because they often write about their model railroads. I’ve seen Paul Dolkos, Allen McClelland, Lance Mindheim, Pelle Søeborg, and the like treated like rock stars at model railroad gatherings.
That applies to many manufacturers and importers, too. George Sellios of Fine Scale Miniatures, Art Fahie of Bar Mills, the late Lee Riley of Bachmann, the always effervescent Jason Shron of Rapido, the staff members of several DCC product makers – these ladies and gentlemen and their professional peers are sought out at conventions and train shows to call upon their expertise or just to say hello to them. One of the great benefits of being associated with the model railroad industry for as long as I have is that I can count many of these folks as good friends.
I was recently chatting with one of them, and the opposite of this camaraderie surfaced. We were reminiscing about times past, and he recalled the first time he displayed a diorama at a train show held in conjunction with a multiregion NMRA convention. He was understandably a bit nervous about how it would be received. Two exhibitors came over to tell him how much they enjoyed his display, which surprised and delighted him.
But other exhibitors were what he perceived as “just plain rude” to what was then a young fellow just trying to share his enjoyment of our hobby and developing modeling skills with fellow model railroaders. Little did they know that this young lad would one day become a wellknown supplier of plastic kits.
After the show was over and my friend attended the banquet, he found an empty seat at a table but was totally ignored by others seated there. One was a famous model railroader and his friends; clearly, the newcomer was out of his league. I’m not sure I would have had the nerve to speak up, either.
A hobby means different things to different people, but there is one aspect of any hobby that is common to us all: It is a place of refuge. We indulge in leisure-time activities to carry our minds away from everyday concerns. In that spirit, perhaps it’s time to reflect on how much nicer it is when we as individuals or groups are inclusive rather than exclusive.
We do not have a pandemic of ill will on our hands, but that tale from some time ago has recurred in recent times in venues including conventions large and small, seminars, organizational meets, and even less formal gatherings. We can all recall instances of feeling unwelcome or of being unwelcoming. As a real pandemic subsides, we can ensure the social side of our hobby is not neglected.
Together, let’s try to make a difference.