How 9/11 Led To Game Night
Those of you who follow me elsewhere may have noticed that my online presence this weekend was minimal. I didn't post anywhere - no Tweets, no Facebook updates. Nothing.
I spent Sunday quietly at home, avoiding the news. Avoiding any mention of 9/11, really. Which was stupid, because 9/11 did impact my life in several ways.
Like many of us, I spent that day at work, not getting anything done. I just stared, blankly, at my computer monitor and hit F5 every minute or so, hoping for something new.
On the twelfth, I started to think about the attacks. What if, I wondered, I had been there. Who would have noticed? Would anyone have cared?
I ran down my list of friends, and realized that I didn't have many. I was in a really shitty relationship at the time, and the woman involved had driven off or alienated many of my friends. What I had left were her friends. And I'd let her do this.
I spent some time examining and adjusting my priorities, and then tweaking my behavior appropriately.
This was the beginning of the end of that relationship, as I finally started to stick up for myself after three years of doormatting. And she didn't like it.
A month later, she was gone, and she took a number of her friends with her. Good riddance in most cases.
I barely noticed. Sure, I went through the required hysterics, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I was now better off.
I continued adjusting my priorities.
A few months later, I reconnected with an old friend who got me involved with his game group. I got back into roleplaying, and was having a great time. It was great to finally be part of a good group of neat people again.
At about this same time, I started thinking about my priorities. This is when I cancelled my cable service and started re-reading my library. And buying more books.
Most evenings, I spent at home. Reading. After a few months, I jumped into another poorly-thought-out relationship that (predictably) nosedived. After that nosedive, I became less and less social. I only left the apartment for game, and sometimes not even then.
Then I became Game Store Furniture. I spent every weekend and most nights at a local game store.
It wasn't healthy. It couldn't last. So I examined and adjusted my priorities again.
In mid-September of 2002, I posted a brief note saying that my apartment was "open to company" on Wednesday.
By September of 2003, I had a regular core of eight to ten folks coming every week. By 2004, we were pushing 20 some weeks. By 2005, we had moved to the game store due to issues with parking (the apartment complex didn't have any) and space (more than 20 people overfills a 2-bedroom apartment).
Tonight, we are celebrating nine years of Wednesday Game Nights. We're regularly pulling between 25 and 30 folks, but have occasionally spiked up to 35 and 40.
And the people I have met through Game Night have been (and continue to be) among the most awesometacular people I know.
Thanks.
I spent Sunday quietly at home, avoiding the news. Avoiding any mention of 9/11, really. Which was stupid, because 9/11 did impact my life in several ways.
Like many of us, I spent that day at work, not getting anything done. I just stared, blankly, at my computer monitor and hit F5 every minute or so, hoping for something new.
On the twelfth, I started to think about the attacks. What if, I wondered, I had been there. Who would have noticed? Would anyone have cared?
I ran down my list of friends, and realized that I didn't have many. I was in a really shitty relationship at the time, and the woman involved had driven off or alienated many of my friends. What I had left were her friends. And I'd let her do this.
I spent some time examining and adjusting my priorities, and then tweaking my behavior appropriately.
This was the beginning of the end of that relationship, as I finally started to stick up for myself after three years of doormatting. And she didn't like it.
A month later, she was gone, and she took a number of her friends with her. Good riddance in most cases.
I barely noticed. Sure, I went through the required hysterics, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I was now better off.
I continued adjusting my priorities.
A few months later, I reconnected with an old friend who got me involved with his game group. I got back into roleplaying, and was having a great time. It was great to finally be part of a good group of neat people again.
At about this same time, I started thinking about my priorities. This is when I cancelled my cable service and started re-reading my library. And buying more books.
Most evenings, I spent at home. Reading. After a few months, I jumped into another poorly-thought-out relationship that (predictably) nosedived. After that nosedive, I became less and less social. I only left the apartment for game, and sometimes not even then.
Then I became Game Store Furniture. I spent every weekend and most nights at a local game store.
It wasn't healthy. It couldn't last. So I examined and adjusted my priorities again.
In mid-September of 2002, I posted a brief note saying that my apartment was "open to company" on Wednesday.
By September of 2003, I had a regular core of eight to ten folks coming every week. By 2004, we were pushing 20 some weeks. By 2005, we had moved to the game store due to issues with parking (the apartment complex didn't have any) and space (more than 20 people overfills a 2-bedroom apartment).
Tonight, we are celebrating nine years of Wednesday Game Nights. We're regularly pulling between 25 and 30 folks, but have occasionally spiked up to 35 and 40.
And the people I have met through Game Night have been (and continue to be) among the most awesometacular people I know.
Thanks.