"Can't add my name into the fight while I'm gone..."
"...So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here"
Ok, yesterday I said I was going to share the favorite Magic card of the fans from the pre-release, but I will do that tomorrow. It slipped my mind that it was MLK day today, and other stuff has come up in my mind, so change of plans for today. I have written before (here) about fantasy and gaming and about how aggressive thoughts and feelings can be channelled into the game play, making for a less violent person in real life. That's why I see no conflict about being a pacifist and yet being surrounded with fantasy images of fighting and destruction.
I think that the negative physical part of fighting and war can be channelled into the fantasy and the ideas of morality and good and evil become symbolic and mythological in game play. I think Chuck believes this too, and although I am not sure about all the gamers we meet, I feel like from what I have seen about how these huge groups of guys relate to each other, I can say this is pretty true.
So that might seem like a stretch but this is how I understand it and I feel like I can confidently intermingle thoughts of MLK, peace, protest, and non violence with fighting fire monsters. Does that work for anyone else? It makes complete sense to me.
Today I entered a contest on Jean Yates' blog. One of her questions was what is your favorite song. An impossible question, but I answered anyway. It is a song that moves me, and I listen to it when I am feeling sad and depressed or when I feel like I am not living up to my potential, or that I am no good. It is Phil Och's "When I'm Gone". Here is a video with a cover of it by Ani DiFranco, who I do not know enough, and who I think I would like. It was recorded for the movie Steal the Movie about Abbie Hoffman, who I do not know enough about either. SO I will spend some time today learning and thinking about the sixties and protest and non-violence. Which is a perfect way to celebrate MLK day.
Click to viewLink to video on You Tube
Lyrics