Sunday, March 09, 2008

Always Open to Gaming

I just hosted my last SOG for the forseeable future, and I now leave the group to very capable hands to continue in my stead. As some might already know, I will be re-locating to Australia, and I ought to be gone within the month.

SOG has been a constant in my life for the past two years, and I've been at its helm for 23 sessions; There was that one time I was absent when I traveled to the States. SOG has been my one highlight, the one thing I look forward to every month, and the one thing that keeps me going.

I cannot overstate how much each session means to me, and how much effort I take to make sure everyone who games with me is enjoying themselves. When I would go around, making sure I knew everyone on a first name basis, you would know how important this was to me. And my closest friends would know what little weight I put into remembering peoples' names and faces in any other situation. But SOG... That was different. It was my creation, my endeavour, the first time I was the creator, and not just another consumer.

And the thought that I won't be in that room, playing with people whom I've grown to consider friends, pains me. I'm sitting here, in my chair, and I'm ready to tear. I feel a strain in my chest, an ache where my heart is. And I'm struggling to find the words to describe my sense of loss.

5 comments:

Ozvortex said...

You should be proud of what you've done with SOG. BTW where in Australia will you be moving to?

Ken Lee said...

I'll be moving to Melbourne. My wife has already re-located and started work already.

Chuang Shyue Chou said...

Take care my friend.

I can't believe it. This is the end of an era.

Thanks for everything Ken. It's greatly appreciated.

Wow, you are the second friend that I know that is migrating to Melbourne. And I know of at least a few more aquaintances who are moving.

Anonymous said...

Hello :) maybe you can start a facebook board game group so that you can still keep in touch with your friends here? I'm not sure how SOG works, but currently my friends are going crazy about facebook game applications (like the scrabulous game).

Ken Lee said...

SOG is a monthly get-together for about 35-50 boardgame enthusiasts. We meet once a month to play an afternoon of boardgames with each other.

There are a few similar groups around but this one was mine. It was something that I started, with the support of a few friends. And it's something I've been taking care of for 2 years now.

We've got an internet forum already, so I can stay in touch with most of the guys. But I won't be able to play with them... Not unless there's a application on Facebook to play Carcassonne.