The Dream Team
When I was 20, a friend of mine named Dan introduced me to "hobby gaming." Dan sat me down with another friend, Ed, and a copy of Stalingrad, and said, "Play this, you'll like it." He was right, and in the next few years I bought over 300 games like that. Dan also told me to play D&D with my friends in Indiana, and he was right again. (Dan recently passed away.)
When I was 25, a friend of mine named Don said, "Why don't we make our own gaming company?" So we did, and it was called Paranoia Press. We had fun for a couple of years, but quit when the hassle was too much. Then I decided to embark on a freelance career. I wrote and playtested lots of games for lots of companies, for lots of years.
When I was, incredibly, 43, I got an email inviting me to join them at "Norfolk-by-the-sea." I told the people I worked with it was my "dream job," although it would have really been my dream job if it were across the street from my cute little yellow house in Overland, Missouri. In fact, I got that term from them, "Gee, this must be your 'dream job'!" I couldn't even get the people I worked with to understand what "hobby gaming" was.
That job is now over, the "position eliminated" as my layoff notice reported. While I'm trying to keep The Dream alive for me, trying to find another job where I can create for a living, the very special team of people I worked with is no longer together. It occurred to me that this must be like a sports team, like the 49ers, winning a few Super Bowls and then realizing the team that did that, the unique combination of individuals, wasn't going to be like that anymore.
You don't appreciate these things while they are happening. You only truly appreciate them when they're gone. Thanks, everybody. Not just PD or the Games Studio or whatever it's called, but Art and Production and I don't want to forget anybody so I'll say all you folks, everybody I worked with there, it was a special time for those of us actually doing the work, creating the things and getting them out the door.
That was what I wanted my Dream Job to be. I'm currently in the market for another one. I can have another dream, can't I?
9 comments:
i hope you are able to land back in the business. The industry has already lost too many great minds.
Thanks, man. When I used to have a "real job" for a couple of decades there, I was spending leisure time pumping out adventures for RPGs and freelance writing as well. So I'm sure I'll find something to keep them creative juices flowing (ick) no matter where I end up.
Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
What Chuck said about a new job, with a side order of expediency, please!
No question, I miss the old band too. No matter how much you like Wings, they're not The Beatles.
Sometimes I think,
"Geez, I've been doing this stuff for 9 years and I still don't know what I want to do."
Then I think,
"But I'm still 12 years younger than when Chuck got his 'dream job,' so I guess I can be a little more patient."
Really, you're an inspiration of sorts.
When I told Wayne that Decipher had let you go, his first reponse was "that place is going to shit." I was kind of stunned by the remark.
Just goes to show you that your work has touched more people than just the people you worked with. And even if you never get another dream job, you are one of the lucky few who have accomplished that.
On an entirely different personal level, I completely sympathize with you. It actually amazes me the parallel there. At the risk of sounding somewhat didactic to my own father (yeah, right, me?), it's a feeling that never goes away, and you still want it back.
But sometimes, you can be happy with just the memory.
I almost sounded optimistic there. Hold on...
Life sucks.
Much better.
Shit man, I had to look up "didactic," take it easy on me here. True enough about the memory. "We'll always have Granby," or something like that.
I can't believe you had to look up didactic.
I can't really think of a better word that describes me.
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