I'd Forgotten How Much I've Missed It

On Saturday, we were picking up our daughter from a birthday party at a local bowling alley. This alley is across the street from the FLGS (Friendly Local Gaming Store, for those who don't know). We had some extra time, and it'd been a few weeks since I'd been in the store, so I thought I'd pop in.

There were a number of other guys in the store, and they were all gathered around the tables were the store hosts a variety of games each night. That night it looked as if a local group was getting ready to play some D&D. All the components were there: Game books, soda, backpacks, conversations about characters, adventures and past exploits. Yes, even the sadly requisite body odor was there. As I looked over the books in the store, I eavesdropped on their conversation. It seemed that there was someone new in the group and he was going to be falling on the "cleric grenade." It sounded as if the whole things was all a bunch of first level characters. Ahhh, the smell of fresh adventure! Between the the books on the shelves and their words, I suddenly found myself feeling some unexpected sadness.

See, it's been almost two years since I've sat down with some friends to play RPGs. I don't count my kids in this, because while enjoyable, the sessions I've had with them have been more of an instructional nature. But sitting with other adults and really getting down to some rolling and role-ing... it's been far too long.

And I'd forgotten how much I missed it. And how much it is a part of me. I really felt like something inside was missing as I stood there in the store, feeling like I was on the outside looking in. I longed to be at the table, behind the screen, laying out the open road to adventure in front of my players.

I need to get that back. I can't make the gaming nights at the FLGS, but I do have another option that I've talked about before. It's time to pursue that.