Okay, getting ready to go into the store. This is Monday, and I usually get to leave early, but the beautiful Loquacious is navigating her way back home from the wilds of Arkansas. She was supposed to be home yesterday, but an incident happened with the car. Long story short, a quick-fix has been made that should get her home, but there's still an important repair coming.
I was grumpy about this for a bit, then karma smacked me upside the head and let me know that there are other people who are having a rougher time of it all. The majority of my current issues involve material things... if I throw enough money at them, the issues will be resolved and all will be right with the world.
The karma smacking involved a friend having his relationship with his girlfriend absolutely explode. He's devastated and needs some support to keep from losing it. So while I'm on the phone last night and my friend is pouring his heart out, in the middle of it all he stops and takes the time to say "thank you" for the continued existence of the Gopher. It's been a refuge from various issues in his life lately... A place where he can come in and just be... Yeah, the worries will still be there, but at least, for a small while, he can relax. Then he proceeded to tell me of another person who's said the same thing. Combine this with ANOTHER regular who's getting ready to move coming up to me at the end of the evening last night and expressing his appreciation for the place and the atmosphere we provide, and this man is holding back tears while this is happening... it's humbling... in a very cosmic way...
I had not truly realized how much we meant to our community of friends, and hearing it makes EVERYTHING we do with Armored Gopher Games all the more worthwhile... and also places the issues with Loq's car, my laptop, and other broken (and semi-broken) items into complete perspective.
Hell, I've got it easy...
- I've got a beautiful, fabulous wife who loves me (however "wrecky" she may be or lost she may get)...
- I've got two FANTASTIC children who amaze me every time I turn around...
- I've got a metric crap-ton of friends who are there to listen to my very insignificant kvetching, and sympathize with me while I do so...
- I'm blessed with stewardship over a place that has become a focal point and refuge for a great many people...
What more could I really want?
-- GopherDave
Dave,
ReplyDeleteYou provide the one thing that C-U needs. An honest to goodness open environment for fun. We're all glad to have you and Loq and everyone else at the 'Gopher.
That and the group that attends the Gopher tends to be on the awesome side with support and many other intangibles. This, above all else, is why we keep coming back and get incredibly frustrated when we can't get back!
Steve