Back when Star Wars was king (the original Episode IV...), my friends and I came across a new kind of game. It was called Dungeons and Dragons and we fell in love with it. It was unlike any other game we'd ever played. What I loved most about it was the fact that it took place in the mind. There were several of us and I'm sure each one had a different version of the same game playing out inside our minds.
So when my three oldest kids invited a couple of friends over last week to play Dungeons and Dragons, it did my heart good, especially considering my kids had never played the game.
My next-to-oldest took it upon himself to be the Dungeon Master, a daunting task for a first time. But he did well, at least, no one bailed on the game. As they played in the front room, I would hear phrases that took me back, attacks and the subsequent roll of die, or dice. It reminded me of the times we'd stay up late in Kerry Soper's basement, or our basement and play for hours and hours. Some of our campaigns were short, but most lasted several weeks.
I think I realized just how amazing the game was back when I was in Jr. High School. My friends and I were taking a bus into Salt Lake and for some reason, we began talking to an elderly lady about D & D. In my mind she was elderly, but thinking back, she might have been younger than I am now. As I listened to us talk and describe the game, it occurred to me of the genius of D & D. All you needed the manuals, including the Monster Manual and dice. That's it. The players saw the action not on a board, but inward. It made everything about the game personal.
The group met this morning, once again at our house. They put down their phones, turned off the TV and played their second game of Dungeons and Dragons. And it made me proud.
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