Real Life's Twists

There are a few people with whom I spent the majority of my gaming time with.  One is my older brother, who I have written about before.

Another is my childhood best friend.  I haven't seen him in years, but we do keep in sporadic contact.  And that is a shame, because when I think of D&D, I think of him.  Well, a little over two years ago, he, a very physically fit guy in his mid-thirties, had a heart attack and almost died.

It's strange to me to even write the above sentence.

He has come through it and is doing well.  Yes, there are a variety of minor and not-so-minor complications, but he is working, living, and getting on.

Why do I write about this, today?  A lot of people at various blogs have posted about the "forefathers" of gaming, the men whose writing inspired the hobby that we all love, and how the world would be a very different place were it not for them.  That is obviously all true, and we owe a debt of gratitude to those authors, early gamers, etc.  But we also owe a debt to those who brought us individually into the hobby, who make up large portions of our personal gaming histories, and who continue to inspire us in simple and sometimes profound ways.

My friend started a blog awhile ago, that he occassionally posts to.  I only recently became aware of it.  If you have a moment, go check it out.  Help me thank him for the hours of joy that gaming with him gave me.