Recently I had the privilege to sit
and talk with Shane and Anna from CCGHouse in Vancouver.
CCGHouse (for those who don’t know)
is a game store that specializes in Magic and other card games.
I have to admit…
That when I first approached the
Magic store as a potential sponsor, I didn’t fully understand what the game was
about and what it does for people. I know that my son spent a lot of his money
growing up on trading card games, and that he and his friends would spend hours
playing something that I didn’t care to understand.
As a family, we would go to
conventions, which cost money to attend; and sure enough there would be people
(kids, teens, adults) all sitting around for three days playing these card
games.
I didn’t get it.
Why spend money to get into a
convention and then sit around and not enjoy it?
That was my opinion...
And I was wrong in my lack of
understanding.
I’m not going to pretend that I
understand the game(s) any better now.
That’s not my focus...
My focus is the social aspect of
it.
For the last few years I have been
working with folks and their social anxieties, and it wasn’t until I took the
time to listen that I was able to connect the dots.
The first time that I walked into CCGHouse,
I met a person that made me want to know more. It was that connection that made
me go home and look deeper into the social anxiety – game playing world.
I now had a clearer understanding
on why people would spend money to go to a convention and play a card game for
three days.
I don’t disagree with it…
In fact, I respect it because it’s
more than people just sitting around playing cards.
This post isn’t about explaining
social anxieties and phobias…that’s an entire thing on its own.
However…
People who are socially awkward
around other people have a harder time when it comes to certain aspects in
life; for example, meeting new people.
Magic, and like games, bring people
together that may not have ever met any other way. There is a commonality when
playing together that bridges the gap between all types of people and all walks
of life. Diversity, age, job, social class, etc., etc. doesn’t matter.
There is a “common starting point”
that brings people together.
One of the biggest reasons that I
like is…
That these games help build
confidence. There is strategy, planning, wins, and losses; and like how Anna
said it, “Magic is infinite chess”. You have to know the game, and you have to
know your opponent.
You have to associate with people…who
become friends.
Conventions may only happen once a
year, but there are bonds so tight that time doesn’t matter because these
friends will always be friends.
But…
The coolest part of Magic today
(unless you are an extremist who lives in a bubble and disagrees with everything
that goes against your beliefs but can’t explain why) is that Magic is used
outside of homes and conventions.
Say what?
Schools use it.
Churches use it.
Businesses use it.
It has become a tool for learning,
teaching, participation, unity, self-worth, and understanding…
Folks are thinking outside of the
box, and people are responding positively to it.
Magic isn’t scary…it isn’t a cult…it’s
not screwing up your kids.
It’s probably helping them!
It is helping them build confidence
in themselves, that they can take and apply to every part of their lives and be
whoever they chose to be.
Magic is fantastic, and folks like
Shane and Anna are taking it to the next level. I don’t know if they are
heroes, but they are tackling social anxieties for a brighter future.
You may not understand…I didn’t.
But now that I do…
I am awed at what could be in the
world of tomorrow because of the efforts put forth by CCGHouse…by Shane…by Anna…by
anyone who understands and cares about social anxieties.
The CCGHouse is open daily, and it
has become a safe haven for people to hangout, socialize, talk, and play games.
It is one of the few place where loitering is ok.
Hopefully this article has you
rethinking card games like Magic (if you were against them that is), and has
sparked an interest in learning more.
Even better…
If you have kids that play and you want a better understanding of why they play; creating a better relationship that’s on their level. Talk to your kids, ask them how to play…they’ll happily teach you.
If you have kids that play and you want a better understanding of why they play; creating a better relationship that’s on their level. Talk to your kids, ask them how to play…they’ll happily teach you.
If you have read this far and want
to know more…
Please reach out to Shane, Anna, or
any of the crew down at CCGHouse.
Magic…
Saving the world…for real…
Who knew?
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