When I began playing Magic the Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, back in middle school, I was introduced to several types of fascinating gaming paraphernalia. The items that really stood out to me and really stirred my imagination were the set of dice I purchased from a random assortment of old Chessex dice in a dish within the display case at the front of White Cap Comics, a Ral Partha pewter Elf miniature that I was able to choose for my first ever character, and lastly a handful of colorful gaming stones.
Something about the disparate assortment of oddly shaped dice, the three-dimensional metal object which represented a fantasy character in the midst of action, and the richly colored variety of gaming stones made the experience of gaming more magical. I had tools with which I could delve into realms of fantasy and explore worlds beyond my own.
At the time I didn't have access to many of my belongings because of family issues, but having those dice and gaming stones and that miniature at hand felt very special. It's interesting how simple things can change your life.
I fear that the nature of the hobby and the world today will deny kids the experiences and sincere joy I had. Maybe there's a kid out there who has just as little as I did when I was their age and will love the simple things they organically find will all of his or her heart. I hope so.
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