Going Back In Time

This weekend has been full of nostalgic activities.. its actually been a couple weeks now of nostalgia if you count my trip back to the "homeland".




I relaxed and read a book. I had to think hard to recall the last book I read. I was going to say that it was years ago.. but then I remembered I read the Twilight series.. which was my last fun reading before now. Last fall I vaguely recall torturing myself with Frankenstien (Mary Shelley) because I felt obligated to host a book club meeting for a friend.



As a child, I used to read all the time. It was the one thing I could do on my own (I was allowed to go to the library by myself - small town) as often as I wanted, without getting yelled at by my mother. I remember reading the entire series of the Hardy Boys in one summer. This in the days before reading programs. I'd have rocked a summer reading program. Even up until HS, I always had a book I was reading.



I like reading books in one sitting. I am not so happy (understatement) about having to put up a book to do something else before I'm finished reading it. I've also been known not to answer phone calls or text messages when I'm in the middle of a book. Funny enough my best friend is the same way, though she'll answer you she'll just be massively rude until you hang up and let her back at her book.



I read "Odd Thomas" which has been sitting on my To-Do Reading List for so long that I had to dust it off to read it. It was a good read, but most of all... it was just good to finish a book. I love that feeling. Finishing a Book.



Once the book was finished.. I debating what else to do. There's nothing currently on TV and I'm way too broke to actually do anything.



Anyway, one thing lead to another.. I blame Holly actually, since she'd mentioned it the night previous to me starting again..



I logged into my MUD.



For those of you unaware of any kind of internet prior to 1998 or so.. Way back when, there used to be a method of internet use that wasn't web based. People used to connect directly to other peoples computers or host computers to get their information, chat, meet others.. they used a now little known method called Telnet. Through Telnet, which is entirely 100% text and text graphics, there were "worlds" you could visit if you only knew where to go. Some were games. Some were completely social. Some were raunchy. Some were pristine. If you searched long enough, you could find one that fit you.



MUDs were just one of the Telnet activities and the one that I adhered to most. MUDs are games. Comparibly a text-based ancient version of World of Warcraft. Some MUDs you got to choose what kind of being you were.. elves, gremlins, warlocks, vampires, fairy, ewok, humanoid.. basically for any kind of creature/theme you wanted to play there was a game for it. Some were games that would allow you to kill other players and fight each other to gain levels, others were more peaceful games that encouraged people to join together to kill "monsters".



In the good MUDs.. the ones that still to this day are running.. they built community. Not only would people play together online, but they'd play together long enough that they'd become friends and want to meet outside the game.



This was what brought me in and got me addicted to my MUD. Community. In all honesty, what started me on this mud was a very very nice English guy who took me under his wing my first day and aquired for me all the tools I'd need to get started. He was strong and sexy, and I came back to that MUD for months just looking to find him again. I never did.



But while I was waiting in vain for him to show up, I met others in the game. I began to play and get to know this whole new world of people outside my prison of Nebraska. Months passed. Years passed.



From 1992.. til around 2000.. anyone who got even remotely close to me.. I tried to corrupt them by getting them also into the game. I managed to corrupt a few. :)



The game was its own society. It still is. My "fraternity" or "sorority" so to speak. Other than just playing a silly game, we all would meet together. Spend weekends out "camping" (our word for a tent, food, booze, and possibly sex). (I actually lost my virginity to someone I met on this game, and was my first experience with online dating)



This community has massive amounts of smart people.. a few idiots.. a few crazies.. a few mean people.. a few super nice people.. but there is one thing we have in common.. We have each other's backs against the outside world.



Like family, I can make fun of them all I damn well want to.. we can call each other names, hurt each other, help each other.. fight... make up.. whatever.. But if the outside world harms one of us, we're all pretty much out for blood. Crazy or not.. friendly or not.. We protect our own.



Actually right now on my MUD, half of them are helping one of them fix their computer problem, while also giving advice on new products and what pitfalls to avoid.



It was something I'd forgotten in the last few years. My ex did not like the game or any of the people in the community really. So when I married him, I found myself drifting from it.



But I logged back in this weekend. Old faces (aka familiar text on a screen) were around and people just laughing and having fun. We'd chat about our days (kinda like people do on Twitter) and complain about mutual woes (why'd they change this in the game... why won't they change that). I'd reconnected with a few old friends and it felt like I'd never left. Well.. with the exception that they're now superhuman levels and I'm still where I was.. but honestly that wasn't that unusual back then either.



So I'm back to being addicted to this game.. but its more than a game.. its my facebook before Facebook.. my twitter before Twitter.. its another world, where my family lives together... despite all of us being thousands of miles apart.