It's hard to believe, being the giant geek that I am, but this month is only my one year anniversary of being part of a gaming group. Prior to that I had "gaming friends," but our interactions involved me sitting on my couch and yelling at them over Xbox Live. Let me bore you with how it happened.
My Introduction to Gaming Groups
Last January, my wife and I attended the yearly reunion for my church youth group. If you've done something similar, you know it's a bit awkward trying to strike up conversations with people you see once a year. I can talk about work, kids, etc, but it's all pretty superficial. After maybe an hour of trudging through conversations, I had no idea my next one was about to be a game changer.
Luke is a passionate guy. When we were in high school, he was an unabashed geek and I loved him for it. I never talked to too many people in high school (or adulthood), but I remember feeling a sense of camaraderie with him and his love for video games. So when we started talking and he almost immediately mentioned his gaming group, I was intrigued.
He explained how he and some college friends got together and played games in his basement. At this point in my life I was learning the fun of board games, so that's what I assumed they did. But then he mentioned Warhammer 40k, and I about lost my mind.
Growing up, I always wanted to play 40k. In 8th grade I had a friend who would bring magazines to school and talk about how he and his dad painted them. Then when I was in high school, I was browsing through a local gaming shop and saw a diorama of Tyranids vs Space Marines. The colors were beautiful, and this still image of an epic battle immediately sold me on the game. So being the impulsive teenager that I was, I slapped down my money and walked out of the store. Unfortunately, I hadn't considered that I'd need to build and paint the models, as well as convince someone to play, so there went that dream.
But lo and behold here was someone sucking me back in to a game I'd always been interested in! For the rest of the night, we just sat on the couch as our wives rolled their eyes, as if on cue, ever 3 minutes. I don't remember if he invited me or I Jedi mind-tricked him into letting me come by some night, but I had my golden ticket of an invitation, and I was never more excited to spend an evening with a bunch of people I didn't know.
40k Changed My Life... I Guess
Fast forward to the present, and I have to say it has been huge in my life. It was very quick that I discovered miniatures painting and devoured every piece of learning I could. I fell in love with the battle of wits involved in two people squaring off on the table, and it was a shock that people could be competitive while still being relaxed and having fun (I'll do a post on gamers ruining games and you'll see why that blew my mind).
While gaming is expensive (I'm glaring at you, Games Workshop!), my wife has loved the change it's wrought. Prior to this, it was impossible to get me out of the house. I was content to sit home and live my life within the walls of my home, and I was certain I wasn't missing out on something. But now I actually look forward to going out and seeing friends, and she laughs at how her unsocial husband gets more text messages than his social-butterfly of a wife.
But that's the great thing about a gaming group; it gives you a sense of purpose and belonging. I'm pretty sure I drive everyone crazy, but deep down I think one or two people there like me. And it's great to know that every Saturday night I can look forward to a few hours of carefree fun.
Don't Be Your Job All the Time
Lately, this break has been especially important. Being a stay-at-home dad and commission painter, I've been even more confined to the house. Don't get me wrong, I leave the house for church, errands, etc., but I spend most of my time living at my job. And while I wouldn't change it, I've come to accept that I need that little outlet where I'm not responsible for keeping two kids alive and a house explosion-free.
But that's not just true of people who work from home. Whether you're married or single, with or without kids, your life isn't relaxing. After an 8-10 hour day at work or school, you come home to the rest of life. Bills, cleaning, social responsibilities, studying... on and on. And while many people like to wind down with video games or watching a movie, you're still at home!
And since I feel bad leaving you without a picture, here's a picture of what happened when Thomas had 25 cards in his hand and cast Omniscience.
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| Irrelevant to most of you, but I'm still bummed that I missed out. |
See you tomorrow!
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