Who Dies in Town?

This year I've resolved to find the silence within myself in hopes of figuring out exactly what I most need. Those who know me well know that I am great at taking care of others and not so good at taking care of myself. I've resolved to be better at this. And today I need to play World of Warcraft. Today, I plan to get my flying mount and I cannot wait. I only need 24 more gold. I am so close to my goal and, I am so far from the player I was a year ago.

Now, this might surprise you but I am not a typical gamer. Oh sure, I've dabbled with Super Mario Bros. and Zelda but I've never thought about playing World of Warcraft until I started working as a project manager for a web development company. My geek boys, as I affectionately call them, got me started. They have been very patient with me.

My first death was glorious. It was my first day of playing and one of my geek boys had already rescued me from a cave of spiders I'd decided to race into without thinking. I was just figuring out my next steps when he looked over my shoulder and asked, "Did you just die?"

Very affronted, I explained that of course I had not died, I was in fact in town. Who dies in town? He asked me to go off of map view (and then explained to me how to do so) looked for a moment, laughed and then asked, "Were you standing in a campfire?" (For those of you who may not know it, standing in a campfire as a Level-2 druid in front of very experienced players can not only result in your death but also in your ridicule for many months to come.)

They had a lot to teach me. I had a lot to learn.

I learned some of my lessons well. I learned how to fight with one person tanking and one person healing. I also learned all the shortcuts that allow your character to flirt, dance, and tell a joke. It took me a little longer to learn other aspects like not panicking in the middle of a fight and leading all the bad guys back to my allies, or looking before leaping. (I did have another embarrassing moment similar to the fire in which I was helping a newbie and after yelling "follow me!", led him right off a cliff where we both died somewhere in the trees many feet below. Let me tell you that it is extremely difficult to resurrect while falling past your body.)

But I have come a long way. Eventually, even the most inexperienced player, with enough encouragement and help, can get where I am. I recently partnered with a newbie who was just playing because her boyfriend was playing all the time. I didn't lead her off a cliff and neither of us died in a campfire, although she did lead a big group of bad guys right to me. We died. However, I was able to teach her how to tank, how to dance, and how to flirt.

And now, I'm off for that flying mount. Today, I am doing exactly what I want and getting exactly what I need and I don't feel guilty at all. :)