Friday, August 10, 2018

#RPGaDay 2018 Day 10: How Has Gaming Changed Me?

Hello fellow #RPGaDay-ers and welcome to Day 10!

"How Has Gaming Changed Me?"

Holy crap, let's delve down into some heavy self-introspection...

Wow, I've been gaming for nearly 30 years, that's a lot a time for some woulda-shoulda-coulda-whydidyoudothat!

Gaming got me friends:  Okay, gamers are stereotypically not the best socially adapt people to be friends with, but through high school those were my core group, whereas I was a fringe guy on in a number of other social groups.   I'm still friends with a few over this entire time, others have fallen by the wayside, and even one kicked me in ass over a Guinness to go back to school.  For all the Captain Sweatpants and urban camo with leather vest gamers I've encountered, most I've dealt with are a good bunch.

Gaming Got Me Job Experience:  My post-high school plans didn't work out like I had expected, but my gaming experience and personal presentation got me jobs at three different game stores in the 90's:  Assistant Manager, New Frontiers, Phillipsburg, NJ,   Store Manager, Dreamscape Comics, Bethlehem, PA, and Store Manager, Griffon Games, Wind Gap, PA.   Years of making decisions, working with owners and employees alike, and BS hours definitely helped me get my first "real world" jobs in publishing and telecommunications, and finally in the health care/insurance fields where I currently work.

Gaming Didn't Improve My Social Skills, Demos Did:  I know plenty of gamers who have been playing longer than I have that are still social misfits. While acting/improv/organization can help someone, running games for friends or conventions makes no guarantees for improvement.  Demonstrating a game to a person or group forces an individual to improve their salesmanship and accept failure with a non-existent recovery time for the next demo.  Without that, I don't have the skills that translate into the real world.  

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