Gaming is about sharing

     I was going to open this blog with the line "I love gaming." While that is true, it doesn't sufficiently convey how I feel.  I love sci-fi and fantasy movies, books and games. I love the crazy number of genres and sub genres. Steam punk, post apocalyptic,  anime, high fantasy, horror, wild west, zombies, cyberpunk, lovecraftian horror, mmorpgs, society simulations, ccg's, larping, table top rpg's, board games, the list goes on and on. There are movies, books, forums, blogs, clothing, games, events, conventions, toys and clubs dedicated to each specific genre. You can just skim the surface or dive in as deep as you want. You will never run out of new content.
     I read a good book at night. I look forward to my monthly fix of KODT. I carry my 3DS everywhere I go and get excited every time I get a street pass. I love watching the Walking Dead. Playing board games is a favorite past time. I regularly spend time skimming and diving into the gaming world. I find however that I still feel like it's not enough and that something is missing.
     Last night my wife and I were out and we saw a movie theatre called the  Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.

Intrigued we decided to head in and see what it was all about. The theatre had typical seating except for the addition of small tables between the rows. You could take your seat a half an hour before the movie started and wait staff would serve you food and drinks. Beer, wine and mixed drinks were on the menu. The movie selection was more diverse and before each movie is a pre-show video that pertains to the movie in lieu of the regular slew of commercials you get in a typical theatre. The lobby was cool and full of people.  Many of them were unusually dressed. Lot's of anime themed apparel. An announcement came over the speaker system that they were now seating theatre 7. The anime crowd gave a cheer and moved en masse. We followed along. An anime movie called Rebellion was playing. I suddenly found myself jealous. This is what I am lacking. The group experience. Sharing something I love with other fans. With people who are as into it as me and want to talk about it. Sharing the minutia. Sharing the passion.
     This wasn't a revelation for me, (I figured this out long ago) rather an important reminder. Life can often overwhelm you and dictate how you spend most of your time. Making time for what is important to you can take some real focus, planning and commitment. When you do get some time it is usually late at night after you have worked all day and got the kids to bed. You sneak in a little reading or play your current favorite video game to defrag. While this is good perhaps some of that time should be spent planning to make some time to get out there into the gaming community. Attend a convention, join a gaming group down at your local game store or head to a theatre to enjoy a movie with like minded people.  Gaming is about sharing :-).