I just thought I would share this from my facebook timeline that I just posted... Everyone longs to be a part of something -*with*- other people. True, some folks are truly anti-social, but by and large most people want to do something they enjoy with like-minded people. There are certainly times I find that when I get together with my RPG friends and we have a blast creating a shared fictional world with our imaginations, creating our own exciting Books, TV Shows, or Movies that other people read or watch passively. But in RPGs we get a chance to step into those heroic, or dramatic, roles and create the stories ourselves. People watch TV Shows, or movies, read books, and think "Why did that character do that!? If it was me, they would have done -*this*- and that would have changed the whole story!" And it is an amazing, enriching, creative experience where we as RP Gamers get to take the reins of those protagonists and steer them in a new direction and find out "what if..." Yes, it is a fanciful hobby that many see as having no impact in the real world: it doesn't solve world hunger, or create peace in the middle east. But it does make an impact in the lives of the individuals that play. We as RP Gamers learn how to deal with people on a personal level, enrich our understanding of the world and the people in it, challenge our beliefs, change our perspectives, and encourage us to learn, not just about fictional places, things, or people, but also about the real world, real places, and how people all across the world do things, think, and act. Through the RPG site of Roll20, I interact on an almost daily basis with people from Australia, Germany, Denmark, France, the UK, Mexico, and even Africa. This hobby brings us together, helps us build tolerance and friendships that we never would have had the opportunity to indulge in in any other way. And when you are trapped in a place, in a body, that you can't escape, I cannot begin to express just how grateful I am for what is truly a blessing. As a rule we don't judge each other harshly, we joke around A LOT with each other, we experience fear together, we share triumphs and tragedies together, and through it all we learn to accept each other as we are, and learn how each of us are unique and all bring something of value to the table.
