So the news is out, I wasn't at Dragonmeet last week, even though I'm supposed to be the floor manager of it. In my place a team of very capable individuals led by my one and only, Jude Dodd, made sure that all the work I'd put in for the six months prior didn't go to waste. So before I go any further, in no order at all, the following people were instrumental in making that con work.
Rachael Hodson, Richard Evans, Graham Palk, John Wilson, Matt Nixon, Garry Harper, Lloyd Gyan, Sam Webb, Rob Silk, and of course, Chris Birch. There are others in the form of the volunteers who actually turned up (and we'll come to that in a minute) who I also thank, but it's the core team that make the difference, and these are mine. Those who were there at the midnight +30 signing off call that I made know that they're more than just a convention team, they're a part of my clan.
But enough of me being sappy, what happened....?
Sciatica...
Sciatica happened...
No doubt some of you will have heard of Sciatica, it's when the nerve in your back pinches and renders you in utter pain until someone can physically manipulate the nerve back into place.
What do I mean by utter pain?
Well, it's not as easy as ...
And in fact feels a whole lot more like
Not least of which because they have to give you pain medication to get over it, and that pain medication invariably causes constipation...
Did I mention that the sciatic nerve runs right through the back, through the bum, and down the leg...?
They treat something that causes excruciating butt pain with something that blocks everything up...
Historically not awesome...
That said, I have an excellent physio, who does (thank the good lord) home visits, and so managed to move from the bed where I had been stuck (literally, could not move from the position I was stuck in) and to my own bed, and in the last few days, came to visit me again and now I can walk, sit (20 mins at a time), lie down (if I'm going to sleep, otherwise bad idea), and have limited mobility.
I'm going again this week to see my physio (We call him the Wizard of West Yorkshire, anyone needing anything to do with physical pain, I would recommend him without hesitation), and I should be back to work for next weekend.
But it gets you thinking...
Mostly it gets you thinking that life is too short, as it did when it happened last time and I was down for two weeks in the middle of the million word challenge, so it has again, and now I'm looking at where I want to go with life.
What's important to me...?
Me personally?
Writing and gaming, writing more than gaming if I'm honest, gaming I love, but writing is my first and foremost passion, I game when I can.
I write every day...
But, there will be those that remember that earlier this year I put out a call for people to help get others into gaming, I've moved on that, there's a number of conventions and stores that are now looking to join up with getting more GM's into gaming, and if anyone knows of more, please get them to get in touch. As you'll see from the website, we're also building content for people to learn more of the craft, and we'll be building up on that with online lessons and coaching sessions.
For now, take a look at www.thedodd.com, under gamesmastery, there are a series of links there to the conventions and stores that are joining in, and over the next few weeks, there's going to be a lot of content going up about how to run games and how to get involved. All those who volunteered before, I didn't forget you and there's going to be a mail out shortly to all of you to see how we can get things working.
Anyone else interested in helping, get in touch.