My People

I am a gamer and a computer guy. I don't say this with shame, although I used to, I like these things about me. For some of you, though, the words I use, ways I spend my free time and even the way I have developed relationships, may look alien. I've even been given the disapproving look, you know the one with the head shake. But I get it, this is because, in at least a small way, you are not one of my people.

I just got off the phone with a friend of mine, he and his wife and a few other friends of ours have been working on a monastery. It is pretty amazing how far it has come, considering the plans are more than a thousand years old and we regularly need to translate the ancient descriptions to figure out what we are to build. I have to tell you, there is a real since of accomplishment, although the buildings only exists in virtual space. Are we delusional? Do we need to get a life?

No. We know this accomplishment only exists on a computer. We know that this is somewhere between art and play. But we also know that this is a social accomplishment. Instead of being isolated from each other, we are talking about what the plan designer intended, how can we build delicate lighting with square blocks, how can we solve these puzzles together. We celebrate each other's successes and lament our failures. Additionally, while I'm mining for the ever elusive diamonds, we have a chance to talk about our families and churches. We tell stories of our past, and get advice for our present. For those moments, better than the best phone call I have been on, the distance between us doesn't seem so far.

Once the kids have gone to bed and the day has settled down, my wife and I look foreword to meeting our friends this way. It is an added bonus we can do it in our pajamas, the drive is non-existent and the clean up minimal.

We know that outsiders don't get this. That we are judged. We know the headsets are dorky looking. We know the if you don't play one of our games, our accomplishments are meaningless to you. But, we also know that when you talk and play together, you miss your friends in Florida less. That you can meet a couple in Virginia this way and ultimately have a fantastic vacation together. Being a part of this virtual space means you can introduce friends and family members to people from all over the country. Geography doesn't need to determine the friendship, I regularly hang out with people from Virginia, Florida, Texas, New Mexico and Nebraska.

I'm not telling you not to judge me and those like me, but do it with your eyes wide open. Playing Warcraft or Minecraft is not an attempt at a second life, it's more like playing a board game at a coffee shop or checkers in front of the general store. If you have met your friends after work, you get this. Yes, we talk about the game, but more importantly we talk about life. The worlds may be fake, but the friendship is very real.