Have you ever had an itch that you just couldn’t scratch? You know exactly where it is, but just don’t have something long enough to scratch it, and it drives you absolutely bonkers. That is why I write, because it fulfils the itch.
… What? You want more? and why should you care? You are so full of questions today, person who is reading this and I’m imagining you are actually thinking those actual questions. Well, if you aren’t already sitting, go ahead and make yourself comfortable, we have to embark on a rabbit trail before I get back to “why I’m writing a blog.”
I love games. I know that is very general, but I can’t get any more specific than that. It started when I was in the toddler phase of life. The story that I have heard (and the one that I personally like the best), is that my brothers thought that it would be really cool if they put a nintendo controller in my hand and see how far I could get in the original mario brothers for the NES (kids, ask your parents.) After some coaching from my brothers, I could beat the first level. I could only imagine what my brothers friends would think/say, as a 2 or 3 year old was doing surprisingly well in a game that takes timing and coordination.
Board games and card games were amazing too. I grew up on Candy land, Snakes and Ladders (Chutes and Ladders to some), and Uno. There was something about having friends and family around the table, all with somewhat of a competitive drive of wanting to win, yet when all was said and done, we were still all just friends and family. I have very fond memories of playing such games anywhere and everywhere. Whether it was a relaxing camping trip by the orange glow of a campfire, or in the back seat of a car driving through the middle of no where with a deck of cards playing war. Gaming can be a solitary or social experience, and it is an aspect of human culture that has been around for a very long time. We have records of the ancient Chinese playing games such as GO, and yet that is a game that many people still enjoy today.
I am here to share stories of games, history of games, and hopefully introduce some new games to people that can be shared with friends and family. It is to get people excited about playing games in general. It has already been studied that kids who sit with their parents at the family table for meals tend to do better at school, but imagine the critical thinking skills they can also build while playing a game of Takenoko or Tokaido at that same family table. That is my mission, to inspire people to play more games with their families, to invite friends over for a game night, to have some fun… and to get rid of this blasted itch to write.
Cards, Dice and Boards 