Thankful for All the Fun

As I write this it is just 2 hours away from Thanksgiving Day here in the middle of the United States of America. I have been submerged in the dark waters of the political situations impacting the world lately.  The Occupy movement here in the USA, as well as the struggles in other parts of the world (Egypt, England, etc..) of people trying to have a voice in how they are governed. All this division and struggle makes it difficult to think of things for which we should be thankful. I would like to say that we should at least be thankful that we have the right of assembly, and the right to speak out against injustice.. but that’s simply not the case anymore. When people cheer the macing of elderly women, tear gassing of people sitting on the ground, and the beating of pregnant women until they miscarry, I believe that our rights have not only been stepped on, but that there are a large group of morons who are helping to facilitate the erosion of those rights. So, again, thinking about these things has made it difficult to be thankful.

I decided I needed to step back and look at life from an outside perspective. I needed to strip my life down to the bare bones and determine what makes me happy and what in my life helps to make that happiness possible. The answer is Gaming. That may seem to be a little contrived since I help run this site about gaming. But the truth is that I help run this site because of how important gaming is to me on a fundamental level. The idea of a group of people, no matter the size of the group, getting together for the purpose of having fun collectively and on an individual level is one of the noblest endeavors in my mind.

I am grateful to my parents who not only didn’t discourage my desire to game, but actually fostered it by teaching me at a young age to play Yahtzee, Uno, Spades, and Canasta. I am thankful for the 17 years I had with my wife. There were some rough times, not the least of which was her passing away, but there were some truly glorious times that I will treasure until I am gone as well. I am thankful for all three of my daughters who have made me proud in so many ways all of the time. I am incredibly thankful for my sister who has always been there for me when life has punched me below the belt. I am thankful for my brother-in-law who is truly an inspiration. He is in Afghanistan doing everything in his power to make sure all the men and women under his charge make it back home alive. I’ve got some game time reserved for him when he gets home! I am thankful for my best friends, Mike and Nicole, who not only help feed my need for gaming, but are also supportive in multiple other aspects of my life. And finally, for the purposes of this article, I am thankful for the new gamers who have entered my life (Bobby, Jeff, Ellyn, and D.J.)for the fun that they have helped generate. It truly recharges my batteries and helps me deal with some of the not so fun stuff.

TR;DL—Politics is bringin’ me down. Gaming is something to be thankful for. I am thankful for the fun-enablers in my life!

I hope everyone, whether or not they are celebrating the US Thanksgiving, finds things to be thankful for, finds time for some games, and as we say in the podcast, Keep Rollin’ Those Dice!