Nothing lasts. At least that’s what Matthew Sweet told me. While this is technically true, I can stand to be a bit selfish and say that as long as it lasts for my lifetime that’s good enough.

This is a hobby that can last a lifetime. I first started playing in 1981 when I was 13. Although I didn’t play consecutively all those years it was like riding a bike every time I started up again. It was automatic. When I wasn’t playing I thought about the hobby quite a bit. These days there is so much to explore and not enough time. At this point I can’t imagine running out of games to play that interest me.

The memories we create can also last a lifetime. The human mind is a funny thing, It can’t really tell the difference between reality and a vividly imagined event. Many of the moments I have experienced in RPGs have stayed with me. Some of them were funny, some of them were poignant or moving, some of them were awesome, some were tragic. Many of the characters have stayed with me as well. I remember them as if they were real people. Not just my characters, but the characters of the other players and some of the more memorable NPCs.

It has been my experience that the hobby has had a lasting impact on me in many ways. It has definitely changed me. I have developed friendships that otherwise would not have been possible. I have gained a different perspective on the human condition. I have experienced making choices that I would not normally get to make, and I have experienced the consequences. In a very real sense I have lived more than one life. I have been able to gain a greater understanding on what makes us the same, and what makes us different. I have learned to listen more. I have been given a window into my own psyche, and the psyches of others.

This may be the last day of RPGaDAY 2019, but it’s not the end of my ongoing love affair with the hobby. In many ways, it’s just the beginning.