Recently although I've been busy making sure my character hasn't died in childbirth off-site, I've been on msn a lot and listened to a lot of the storyline ideas wandering about, complaints, jokes and a lot of bad blood stirring.
It made me and my friend sit down and think.
Four years ago or so I came to this site when I was feeling down and depressed and I found somewhere I could have fun and forget about life, trouble and all the real problems I was having. It didnt have to be complicated and it didn't have to end with a player crying / getting angry and running off, telling tales behind backs to gang other people up and building walls between friends and potential friends.
Back then, admittedly I knew perhaps... four people from the site in total. But I didn't need to know everyone and everything, I didn't have opinions and I didn't care for 'serious storylines' and being correct.
I was doing what this site has always promoted and that is having fun, having fun being with my friends and enjoying those very reasons that kept me coming back night after night. I enjoyed being around and talking to these people and having just that little edge of escapsim in my life.
Four years down the line and all I see are frowns where smiles used to be, and grumbles in the place of laughter.
It really upsets me to think that a lot of people do seem to forget in the heat of an argument or moment, that Wizards is fun. Wizards is here to let you escape and let you enjoy yourself.
I want to thank my friend for reminding me that whilst we concoct these vast ideas and say, "we'll change the face of wiz", the real truth is, we can't change and force opinions on people. All we can do is hope that we as older players can give those newer to the site the same experiences of fun and enjoyment that we had when we first came here.
It might seem a little irrelevant to you, but I'd like to thank those first few people who helped me have fun.
Those few people I have remained absolute friends with to this day and even though some don't come to Wiz anymore, driven away by all this feuding, they know they had fun. I just wish they could still be here to have fun with me now.
My reason for staying on Wizards is to have fun and be with those I call friends as well as look for new friends. I hope other people share this reason too.
Nic xxxx
A Reason
There have been many reasons for me to come
And for me to walk far away.
But through them all I never imagined
That you would be my reason to stay.
We talked so little and yet so much
As the evening wore on and eventually turned black.
We had a laugh, we shared our thoughts
And memories soon came after that.
I'd not hand over a single one
Nor sell them cheap for precious they are;
You made my memories special to me
Each more perfect than a shining star.
It wouldn't matter if we lived or died
And it didn't matter if none others cared.
You were with me and you were my friend,
You stayed and played when none dared.
Years have passed and on the face
Of the place we have come to call our home;
A frown has gathered where we once smiled
To steal our dreams and know they are gone.
We built an empire from nothing at all,
We had a world to keep and hold.
But now we cannot find any words
That can take that tarnish from our gold.
So we start again with sticks and stones,
We'll use our sweat and our blood.
When it's finished we'll sit and laugh again,
And remind ourselves of how it was good.
A thousand words and a million phrases
All turned over, in twists and bends.
A hoard of memories that I'll never exchange
And a few stolen hours with my friends.
I've had many reasons to come and go
And found a reason yet to stay.
No matter what may come to test us;
I have my friends along the way.
[edit: added that poem]
