EPTWithin not even a year of regularly visiting this site, I witnessed interesting things that have begun to change my life and how I view the world. There's a lot of wisdom to be found here, I think, and I find it nothing short of spectacular that any gaming community can do that to someone who hasn't even been a part of it for very long. Although, maybe that's a point of a community, and I just never really found myself in a good one before. But I can't allow inference that I'm discrediting this site and it's members in any way.
For one, this game makes me appreciate my own capabilities as a human being. Sure, I have limitations, we all do, but I don't think a person can really see their limitations until they hit a ceiling that's unbreakable. The competitive emphasis on this site is instilling more motivation in me to practice at whatever I do, whether it's programming or playing Rock Band to get a good score and maybe win a few matches online or playing Starcraft.
Seriously, all I get pummeled by is a skewed idea of talent on a day-to-day basis. Yeah, I agree that people are just genetically more capable of certain tasks than others. I can't argue that, I'm a blatant example of strength inferiority that I can't help. It's just that people made me think that I couldn't do anything unless I had talent. I couldn't learn to do anything. Even my own mom does this, my friends. They make practice seem pointless to be good at anything.
So coming here, where practice is emphasized, is such a self-esteem booster. Sounds weird, but when I feel like my hard work is helping me, I feel better about myself. I handle failure better when I'm feeling productive rather than when I think I'm just naturally bad at things which was conveyed to me as saying "If you aren't good at it right off the bat, you have no real chance."
I hate that feeling. But I'm not dumb, I won't try to be good at set theory because I don't try to understand it yet. I know when something is just not going to benefit me in any way or be satisfying.
But that's such a general experience.
As many probably already know, Day[9] Daily #100 is Day[9]'s epic telling of his life in context of Starcraft and all his emotions and experiences. I'm sure I'm not the only one touched by this. It made me cry, a lot. I ignored my roommate even because I didn't want to diverge from the video. I have never been touched by anyone's story as much as him. It effectively made me watch his stream as often as possible, but the time difference makes me forget about it a lot...
But I didn't cry because it was touching to hear. I cried because I felt like it was just telling me how I was diverging into a life I would regret living. Instead of just enjoying my hobbies and having pride in them, I was playing games for the cool factor. His talks especially about excitement for the games he shared with his mother made me realize how my own mom probably wouldn't be so demeaning towards my hobby if I had done the same. It made me proud to be gamer. And not proud in the way that I'll start bragging and rubbing it in people's faces, but just that I have no regrets being a gamer.
I've even been touched by members not as huge as Day[9]. This blog made me see how I was becoming a cynic, and starting to only view people in a pessimistic manner and becoming more and more depressed with my life. Where #100 brought be to a point of motivation and contentment, this blog helped reinforce it before I lost it all. I know it wasn't really a blog to help people, but just my urge to look up cynicism to gain a better understanding of it made me realize something about my life's path.
These are probably the most significant things. I mean, it probably seems silly to be so affected by some people on the Internet I don't know. But...I believe it's sincere words. And I read these words, and they tell me something about my life indirectly that I'm not happy with, and from there on I feel like I've gained wisdom I wished I had years ago, or regained a bit of the high schooler in me that was a lot more dedicated for what he dreamed.
But the site isn't just a life-changing, emotional experience hub for me. It's given me something I enjoy so much more than the crap on cable! Pro gaming! I've always been a fan of professional gaming, almost reaching a point where I could start playing at a higher level (but I had to put school above it, and my mom wasn't happy about the idea of me talking to people online). Sure, I wasn't about to go to WCG or CPL (I respected it then, not so much now) for playing vCoD or CoD2 at a higher level, but I felt like I missed the chance to be in an environment that could lead me there, or closer to it.
So, I've always looked up to pro gamers. They really aren't heroes to me (that goes to Shigeru Miyamoto), but, I respect them (well, the honest ones...). And I was always aware of the South Korean scene, I just didn't realize pre-TL how huge it was. I just didn't know where to find anything, aside from some random videos on YouTube or Google Video. But, upon finding this site, I'm just enamored by pro-gaming. I mean, I don't feel I have the time to spend watching it often, so it's a bit of a mistimed discovery for me. But still, I can't even begin to appreciate the fact this community has the most amazing people in it that they spend hours of their day devoted to letting us watch and experience a game on a level so much more deep than we can experience alone.
So, pro-SC is about the only thing I watch. No, I don't know all the players yet, and I'm still trying to organize in my head how the OSL, MSL, and SPL scheduling works, as well as keep up with non-Korean play going on. Although, I could be watching it now instead of writing this!
Man, I know that my thoughts may seem rather disorganized, but I just can't help it when I'm spilling my heart out best I can.
A community that gave me so much I enjoy and a community that has shown me the better paths to tread in life. Basically, TL is so awesome, I feel so horrible for having nothing but words to give, so it's what I'll give.
Be proud of this community. Be proud of your fellow members. And be proud that you experience a game in a way that people can only be jealous of you, and you experience it with the best group of people on the planet.
For me, it truly is something else.
![[image loading]](http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/4453/daed.gif)
