The question of why we play has also come into inquiry many a time here on MOTL, and many have answered with both serious and sarcastic anecdotes: "I play for the girls," "I play for the rush," or even "I play so that I have the pretty pictures to admire when I'm feelin' low." I figure I may as well expose a different world of Magic that many have experienced and yet to which few have actually admitted.

I play Magic because of its uncanny ability to release me from my reality. As deep and confusing as that sounds, it remains just that. I do realize that I'm not the only person on Earth with problems, but I have had a very difficult time finding an escape from them. Whether it's family issues, social dilemmas or self esteem problems I have a feeling that for everyone, Magic at some point has represented a way to find amusement despite them. I'll be the first, as far as I know, to admit that I whole-heartedly fall into this category.

I have a feeling that for those who are still reading through this article I seem like a pretty pessimistic individual. Allow me to reverse that feeling a little. Is the fact that Magic releases one from reality necessarily a bad thing? I believe that rhetorically it isn't. While I play Magic I have a great time laughing, strategizing and even winning once in a blue moon, and throughout all that everything dismal in my life disappears. I become very involved in the gaming world, and through this I discover the happiness and glee that I so dearly need through some of my more difficult times. As unfortunate as temporary optimism can be, I believe that by entering into the whimsical world of Magic one can exert oneself to a degree that is seldomly found in society regularly.

So for me, at least, one question remains: is it healthy to shove one's problems out of the limelight in order to find temporary enjoyment? My answer is yes. While I know that when I reenter the real world everything wrong with it for me is going to reappear, I at least know that I am able to, at any practical time, find happiness in something so simple as a card game. I still may seem like a very dismal person, but at least I can admit that I realize it's true and that I can, on my own, exert myself and, to any possible extent, make other people happy by spreading my temporary glee to whoever I encounter. I somewhere heard that happiness is contageous, and if that's indeed true then I believe that I'm doing my best to "Pay it Forward."

Thanks for reading.

__________________
"Where are you Jebus??"
-Homer Simpson

__________________
"Where are you Jebus??"
-Homer Simpson

__________________
"Where are you Jebus??"
-Homer Simpson

__________________
Death is no release, Death is Death, you're dead. You're gonna lay in a grave forever, well, that is till the worms get in and eat your rotting corpse.

I use my music for that.

But, as goes without showing, an extremely thought provoking article, kudos for that.

keep em coming.

Anyway, what irks me the most about people that don't play the game is that they don't compare it to another hobby or thing that they spend a lot of time doing. Take for example, a football player. That player is going to spend everyday of the week lifting weights, practicing thier moves, watching films, or doing whatever to improve thier playing ability on the field. It is the same as playing magic (except for the exercise, but same pricipal). My point is that people who don't play the game just don't understand that a "stupid card game" can really relieve stress and promote creative thinking processes while participating in the game. I come up with all kinds of ideas when I play magic because it gives me an opportunity to think about what I want to think and not what other people want me to think. I don't want to be a programmed machine that follows the rest of the herd, I want to be an individual. That is my right as a human being. I will admit though, that some of that programming happenes in magic with scrictly net deck players, but that is a different article.

The bottom line is that magic is a great way for someone to relieve stress and get an intellectual challege all packaged neatly in a little card game. It is just the same for someone who wants a physical challenge while playing a sport. We all have the right to choose the activities that make us happy, mine just happens to be playing magic.

Boogers you say:

quote:

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So for me, at least, one question remains: is it healthy to shove one's problems out of the limelight in order to find temporary enjoyment? My answer is yes. While I know that when I reenter the real world everything wrong with it for me is going to reappear, I at least know that I am able to, at any practical time, find happiness in something so simple as a card game.

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I think that you really hit the nail on the head. What distinguishes the "hobby" and enjoyment from Obsession and compulsiveness is a person's ability to return to reality and accept that the problems are there to be dealt with. Sounds to me Boogers that you have it figured out.

now time management between all your hobbies and life is a whole other topic for discussion ....

Thanks for writing this Boogers!

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Hooligan

I've been recieving much praise for this article, and I just want to express my sincere appreciation for everyone who understands the standpoints I'm making.

__________________
"Where are you Jebus??"
-Homer Simpson

__________________
You don't know peace until you've had suffering.

Oorza2001 is an idiot and he is my bitch.