First of all, all my best wishes to you and yours in the New Year. In all fashions, may it be better than 2001.

Christmas in my house, like many in America, was always a joyous and festive time. The smells of mom’s cooking, the music, the screams of my sisters as my brothers and I chased them around the house with snakes in our hands. Okay, so maybe it’s not a Rockwell like painting but you get the idea.

One Christmas my older brother gave me an Avalon Hill boardgame. At a time when handheld electronic games were just becoming popular (I’m talking Pre-Gameboy) a stuffy boardgame was met with little enthusiasm. However, my brother set up the game and walked me through a few turns explaining the game and compared it to how the real historical battle had actually played out. I was hooked. All the time he was home from college I begged and pleaded with him to play some more.

Many years later I have seen a rise in boardgame popularity. With the advent of computers many doomsayers foresaw the death of boardgames. But, whether because many programmers grew up playing boardgames or marketing departments saw a ready made market many early computer games were copies of the original boardgames. Now those players are coming out from behind the computer to discover the joys of playing a human opponent. There is something more to a game when you share it with living breathing people, rather than some sterile machine. Yes, computers have their place. But we are social beings, and interacting with other people meets a basic need all of us share.

It’s so hard to find other gamers. I don’t have the time. Poppycock! My brother found a ready made opponent and all it took was a little patience on his part. Introducing a friend to boardgames is easy and fun. Heck, my wife and I set up a game every time we have friends over for dinner. Now we have other couples bringing their favorite games with them when we get together. More importantly, take the time to get a younger person involved in gaming. All it takes is a little patience, and a willingness to have fun!