Well, after a good 12 or 13 years of playing magic, I'm just too engrossed with work, family, and other hobbies to be able to really commit. I guess I'm going the way of many others before me. It's kindof sad to think that something which played a large role in your life is going to be hung up. Like an old worn jacket, you want to keep it, but you know its just time to put it down. Magic is like that for me.
When I was in middle school, Magic debuted. I hadn't really paid a lot of attention to it. It wasn't Topps Hockey cards, and it wasn't D&D. Pogs would probably last longer, and were cheaper anyway. Eh, what the hell, I've got a few extra bucks..gimme a starter. That's really where magic entered, anyway. And from that, I gained many new friends at school. We played day after day, just having fun around a lunch table. That's what the game really was for me at the beginning anyway.
Well, when I changed schools, Magic again helped ease that transition. There were a few kids who played, and I could join them. We'd pick up cards whenever we could. Read InQuest (terrible magazine, but w/e), skipped classes, and had tons of fun.
Again, I changed schools and went to a new High School. There, magic again formed some new bonds, and while I did wrestling, I also played magic. This time, I didn't just go to the local tournaments, I went to a larger one, and then again a larger one. The guys I was hanging around with were talking about going pro, but I had no time for it, so I just tried keeping up with the Joneses, playing the newer formats and newer sets.
A third time I changed schools...this time to College. And there, I finally decided to stop buying cards, since it was a huge money sap, and just play whatever formats I still could. This was extended for a while, but as soon as Mirrodin hit the streets, I could barely even compete there.
But type 1.
There was a bastion of magic slinging. The first deck I built, a bastardization of The Deck, was still legal, mostly. I could even add a few newer cards, update it and voila, I was in my element. I met even more new people, and made a bunch of friends. I also discovered this site called The Mana Drain. Just as I was about to register for it (around November 2003), it crashed. Oops.
So I waited for a while. And eventually, after reading all the threads on it about 1000 times over, I registered. I posted. I played. I got to go to most of the waterburies (hell I even taped them), Stok's dual lotus, and tons of other new england tournaments.
Before I really call it quits for good, I'd like to just say a thanks to those people who I've had the pleasure of meeting both online and in person who have been friends:
- Jason R., thanks.
- Andy P., you'll win a PT someday.
- Justin T., Keep rockin' the shades.
- Dan Y., Your store is awesome, your friendship is awesome, your deck is awesome.
- Jacob ||<3, You're probably the nicest magic player ever. You have double the mise. And your beard has made it so that I cannot win a game of magic against you.
- Steve O., I know you don't really read the site anymore, but thanks for TMD
- BR4M, you always stick to your guns. Thanks.
- Ray R., Thank you for waterbury. It's a way to get away from real life for a few days.
- Jared C., One day, you'll win another tournament. I swear
- Tyler H., You're a good guy, you have a great family, and I hope we can keep in touch.
- Oliver B., Same.
- Chad B., You've been fun to hang out with. I hope you keep playing.
- Andrew Fox, You'll make mono-w spiders work. I know it.
- Rich S., you're a profound opponent, but an even more profound thinker and I'm glad to have known you.
- Anyone I forgot to mention, I'm sorry...mostly I'm a noob.
- Everyone on TMD, you make this place amazing. Even with the bitching from time to time.
Well, enough of that, I'll be around every now and then. And you can catch one of my final tournament performances at Myriad this weekend, if you're in the area.
-Aaron
