Gaming and Life

I remember a long time ago having a conversation with someone who's name I've forgotten now - if I ever knew it. "When I feel awkward at work " he said " I pretend I'm in a LARP and then it makes it easier".I wondered about the wisdom of this. When I'm role playing my general move is to do something that will escalate the drama for myself or another player. If I tried it in the office, well, I would probably provide an afternoon's entertainment but I wouldn't have a job at the end of it.

But the idea stuck. I have learnt things from table top role playing. I have learnt how to have a disagreement, a confrontation with someone without backing down or looking away. Admittedly I tend to be a lot more polite on these occasions in real life than I do when I am role playing a confrontation (which is probably for the best for all concerned) but I couldn't do it before. And I have written before that there are lots of fun light hearted games that I love to play but sometimes a game with some real anguish seems more appropriate to how I'm feeling at that moment. And sometimes the catharsis is what I need to help me feel better.

I have learnt how to read people. I have learnt when someone is masking being bored or shy, or scared. I have learnt how to mask being bored or shy or scared. I have learnt how to have my character pretend to mask being bored, shy or scared. I'm sure it's a skill which people sitting in meetings with me have been grateful for!

I have worked things through and worked things out (admittedly) not always very well over the gaming table and with the people I've met, some of them virtual strangers with whom I seemed to have forged an instant connection (and then go on to an awkward conversation with at the bar with ...errr... so have you been doing this long...).

Maybe I am more in touch with myself now. We define ourselves by how we perceive ourselves to be. When you realise you can be anyone you like suddenly getting that new haircut isn't so daunting. Or changing career. Not that I would entirely credit role-play for my success in this area as much as I would, at least partially, credit finally finding people who understood me and somewhere I belonged.