12: A Gamer Without Gaming Has Returned

Tabletop and live action role-playing games have been a huge part of my life since childhood. At some points in my life, I've played in more games in a week than there are days; going from one game to the next in the same night. Once it became one of my primary hobbies, I had never gone for more than a couple weeks without either a tabletop or live-action game. I wasn't addicted... I could quit at any time. ;)

Seriously though, this was a huge source of my social activity. It's where my friends came from. It drove my travel. Conventions drew me to cities that I wouldn't have otherwise gone. It fed my creativity in many ways; writing, drawing, and costuming. It also drove a lot of my spending. My shelves still bend under the weight of the books. My dice collection is ridiculous and the closet in my office has as many LARP costumes in it has cosplays.

When I got my promotion at work, I drew the short straw and got a night shift. No more gaming for me. I could have declined the promotion and stayed in my job with the banker's hours. I did not make that choice. The excitement of a more challenging job, with projects that I truly enjoy, won over my gaming schedule. Apparently I really could quit at any time. I missed it, but there were none of the obsessive thoughts or destructive behavior associated with withdrawal from a dependency (mental or physical). I did pick up video games a bit, but nothing compared to the number of hours I'd previously dedicated to tabletop and live action games.

That over a year long dry spell is now at an end. I've switched to days again and have re-joined my old tabletop group. Pat; the gender unknown, Dragonborn, Fairie Warlock; rides again! Yes... the name does refer back to the old Saturday Night Live skit. And yes... half my gaming group doesn't understand the joke. There might be a bit of an age gap there. Age gap or not, I'm really happy to be back at it. 

We're a group of six queers and one token straight woman. We range in age from the 20s to 60s. That top end will hit the 70s this year. Some have traveled the world. Some have never left the Rockies. Some have never graduated high school. Some have multiple degrees. It's a nicely mixed group. The table banter freely wanders from bad puns, to cheesy dad jokes, to the downright ribald. We don't always get the most actual gaming done, but we have a good time doing it.

Rather than being an addiction, gaming was a mental health outlet. The prospect of a game lifted my mood immediately and a day later, I still feel the glow of a room full of friends sharing time at the table. I look forward to the next session, my friends.