The End of an Era - Goodnight Gamenight

An image popped up on my Facebook feed last night; the logo of the game shop Gamenight.net, followed by the announcement that they will be closing December 31st.

"We would like to thank everyone who shopped, played, or just stopped in. Many of you started coming in as teenagers and we watched you grow into amazing human beings. All the laughter and tears we shared are forever ingrained in our hearts. Thank you for making work fun."

When someone begins in this hobby, they often begin somewhere like a local game store, where the staff and community work to find a place just for you. My first LGS was The Gathering in Centerville but my first home-away-from-home was undoubtedly Gamenight.net, where several times a week I'd stop there after school to talk about cards or figures or comics with some likeminded folk.

The support and camaraderie I found there was such that almost two decades later I've found myself on the other side of the counter trying to bring that same sense of community to the next generation of players and hobbyists. It takes a village to raise a child, and heck if these village people didn't do a helluva job on me. Coming up in a card shop is an education I am grateful for, and an experience that has helped me come to grips with the world.

This is all a very longwinded way to say thank you, to the people and the spaces, and maybe even the smells, and a reminder to appreciate the things you have while you have them. Good luck out there everyone.