You don’t realize how many games you truly have until you have to pack them all up and put them in storage for a while. As part of my recovery from back surgery, we are making significant changes to our home to make it more accessible for Angie and make it easier for me to be her caregiver. Part of that is replacing the carpet through most of our house with laminate wood flooring. To do that, all the furniture in those rooms has to be moved, which includes the shelves where all my board game and rpgs are located.
Have you ever had to unshelve and pack all of your games? I have walked past my shelves every day, and the sheer number and volume of games, game accessories, and related items just didn’t cross my mind. Now having packed all the board games and working on the RPGs has generated so many thoughts, memories, and emotions.
Do I really have this much of my life and my home devoted to gaming?
Well, yes! Gaming is one of my favorite hobbies, plus I teach about game studies and I work as a freelancer in the game industry. Gaming is a large part of my life. I have made so many friends via gaming, my family love to game together, and I has become a ministry opportunity for me as well. So it is not surprising I have this many games.
Do I need this many games?
To be honest, no. I have come to realize I have way more games than I have time to play at this point. So, I am spending significant effort evaluating these games and culling quite a bit before I pack them away. I have even pulled out my previous criteria for culling to make some significant passes at my game collection. I have already given away quite a few games/rpg books and traded others at a loss to pair down my collection before it goes into boxes.
Why is this process so emotional?
Pulling each game and rpg book off the shelf to evaluate then cull or pack requires me to ponder each one, which brings up memories. Some of these games/books are so new or only kept for teaching/research that they do not have significant memories or emotions tied to them. Others, on the other hand, flood me with emotions as I sit and hold them. Games from my childhood or college days that I have kept over the years which hold so many fond memories of times with friends and family, beat up and well loved. Games I worked on early in my freelancing career that show my beginnings and growth in the industry, some good…some bad…but all showing my development. Games I am passionate about today, and play often with my family and friends, showing the shelf wear of constant use.
Packing is annoying and tiring, but it provides some great opportunities to remember moments and to make hard decisions. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t have to, but I am glad I am. It is reminding me why I am passionate about gaming and why I maintain this collection of games and books. It has also given me time to sit and chat with family and friends who are helping me with the packing.
Have you moved to a new home or had other reason to pack up your game collection? How did it make you feel?
One thought on “Packing A Game Collection”