Well, here I am at 500 posts.
Hmm, I'm feeling rather underwhelmed with myself. I mean, my blog's been around for nearly four years now (my first post was on June 30, 2010) and I've just now hit 500 posts? Is that...well, not so great? I'm not sure where my output falls among all RPG blogosphere offerings, but from what I've seen out there I'm more prolific than some and less prolific than most. At least, that's my estimation.
I'm definitely nowhere near
the 4,000-plus posts that Erik Tenkar has under his belt! He's been posting for about a year longer than me (May 31, 2009), but his output has been growing exponentially ever since. The man is a machine!
Now, I'm not sure about what Tenkar's plans were from the start of his blogging career, but mine were never all that gonzo. My intention has always been that blogging about my return to roleplaying after a long hiatus was always going to be secondary to actual roleplaying. And I've pretty much stuck to that formula. I created this blog to reach out to like-minded folks, in order to read their stories and share my own.
Still, there have definitely been times when I've felt a desire to be a more active contributor to the blogosphere in terms of reviews of products/fiction, new monsters/spells/magic items, discussion of rules variants, generating conversations topics, etc. I've done a wee tiny bit of all the aforementioned, but nowhere near as much as some of the other bloggers out there.
Oh well. Once again, I've been more concerned with gaming than blogging. Over the last few years, I've definitely roleplayed a good amount. Except as of late, with my current return to a near-hiatus from roleplaying. With the exception of the occasional "pick-up game" here and there, I'm no longer playing on a regular basis. I've discussed the reasons for my current situation.
But I'm still feeling the RPG itch. I feel like I still need an outlet. Thus my continued use of the blog...and, as I said, the occasional pick-up game. But these days, of necessity, I'm a player and not a GM. Which is always strange to me, because I've mostly been a GM over the years. But I'll take what I can get!
To me, how I'm feeling confirms once again that gaming is in my blood. It's a part of my make-up, my psyche. It was ingrained in me during my formative years, bound into my heart and soul. Stepping away from the table years ago was a denial of a part of myself, in many ways.
These days, I'm trying to trumpet the virtues of roleplaying whenever I can. I'm going more and more public with my love of the hobby, and trying to incorporate it into my new endeavors in the realm of personal development coaching. I'm still searching for my niche, so to speak. But I'm getting closer all the time.
Bottom line: I don't think I'll ever truly step away from gaming again, at least not for the span of a decade (as I've done in the past). When I look back, I was definitely not as happy as I could have been during those years I wasn't roleplaying. Trust me on that one. All that pent-up imagination didn't do me any good at all. I don't want to do that ever again, to myself or others around me. Sure, I have other creative outlets. But none so fulfilling as being at the roleplaying table.
So, anyway, here's to my next 500 posts. I hope you've enjoyed my presence here on the blogosphere so far. I know I've enjoyed yours, from the friendly to the cantankerous. It's my hope that you'll keep reading, and that I'll keep being worthy of your time.
