A few days ago, I was at a vintage toy and comic book store with some friends. While I was perusing toys I used to own when I was a kid (like the Smurfette doll pictured above), I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation between the store owner and another customer. Either the owner or the customer had recently returned from a con (a gaming convention) that he attended with his girlfriend. One line in particular caught my attention. Referring to his girlfriend, the speaker said, “It was healing, in a way, being around other people like her.” It was healing for this person to be around other people like her. This sentence is a common refrain among gamers the first time they attend a con or go to a niche game store. Gamers feel less like societal outcasts when they’re among other gamers. It’s the healing that comes with the realization, “Ohhh, I’m not the only one.”
I needed this encouragement. Community has definitely been a struggle for me for awhile. I am praying your words over myself especially. Thanks.