On Friends and Friendship and Partings

Jean Sexton writes:

One of the wonderful things about the Origins Game Fair is that so many diverse yet like-minded people gather together. We play together and develop friendships that transcend distance. We leave and when we see each other the following year, it is as though we parted just yesterday.

I feel so very lucky to have found such friends. The extraordinary acts of friendship included making sure I got to and from my hotel each day, reminding me to eat, providing quick neck rubs as they passed by, watching my "stuff" while I was in the sales booth, and making sure said stuff travelled with me. Two special friends made sure I had a place to sleep on my travels to and from the con. They opened their home to me and welcomed me in. Another special friend did most of the driving on the trip, leaving me only a few hours to drive in each direction. I thank them all for their many kindnesses.

The bittersweet ending of Origins is that we don't know when we will all meet again. The proposed date change adversely affects half of our customers. Most likely, we won't see them next year. We have to do an analysis to see if we can afford to come -- crass as it may sound, we must turn a profit and that will be difficult with the loss of half our sales.

Still, we hope and dream of the next time we shall meet again. Until we do, walk safely and happily in life.