Round One…Game On
4/8/2024
Yesterday was my first ever game night. I’ve never been one to sit around and play games. I did it with my young ones to teach them the basics of working together and following set rules. It was fun because they’re sooOooo cute! As an adult I haven’t had the same level of motivation. However, my kids are grown and LOVE games. They give me a hard time about not being able to play games since I can hardly sit still long enough to watch a movie or play a hand of cards. The truth is that I have always told myself that I have too much to do to play games. I tell myself that I’m busy in the real world creating the reality that I want. Then, I realized that I am simply working away all my relationships and fun time. I’ve been missing out on silly expressions that bring people closer through acts of joy.
When Ramon reached out about having this giant table for the HUB, I was so excited to host special events where a good sized group could all share a table. Upon meeting him he expressed is original intent for the table was to host D&D and the like, but never had the space to do so.
I thought… Why not…Let’s host at The HUB and see how it goes. Before setting a start date, I began calling my friends and family to get the skinny on the subject.
Me: Umm… Hey… so… I’m opening the space up for a gaming night.
My Daughter: Ah.. wait… what?
Me: Yeah! This man gifted The HUB a large table that he always wanted to host D & D or other role play games at. So… I told him that we could host at my place.
My Daughter: This is great… BABE! My mom’s gonna host a game night!!! So… when did you get into gaming?!
Me: Well… I don’t have a start date…
My Daughter: Laughing hysterically… Are you calling because you have no idea what you’re getting into?
Me: TOTALLY… (laughing)… I was hoping that you and your man could give me a 101 Gaming Class.
My Daughter: Oh this is rich! Babe, will you help me explain gaming to my mom?
She puts me on speaker and the class began.
Her Man: (he’s so incredibly kind) Oh sure! Whatcha need to know?
My Daughter and I: EVERYTHING (laughs proceeding)…
They kindly gave me the basic verbiage, time spans that games take, and structure of role-play games.
I also gained some deeper insight on character building which was the real hook for me to be a host. As it was explained to me, people who have social anxieties can create characters that are either shy to give themselves time to open up, or confident characters in order to practice being confident.
The fact that people can use these games to work out suppressed emotions and thoughts, or practice a character trait, is something I can get behind. I also learned that boundaries and rules are set as a group to ensure that all people are respected and protected from being triggered by certain words or actions. Of course, even when everyone is doing their best, someone could potentially be triggered. Emotional memory can be very strange and touchy at times. I’m certified in a form of trauma therapy and happy to hold space and help navigate the situation if it arises.
For me, it was big to hear these aspects as I want this place to feel like a safe place for everyone to enjoy. I want this to be a place of healing and connection. I want this to be a place where we can all come together and have deep heartfelt conversations and enrich our lives with a sense of belonging. I want this to be a place where we kick back in the hammock and on the couch with a cup of tea and giggle at the irony of life. And… I must say… between the Friday night Social Hours and now the Game Nights… I’m starting to see it all coming to fruition.