I think I should give some history on the event before I get too far in. On April 12th back in 2012 Wil Wheaton gathered some of his friends together, went on to a brand new Youtube channel created by Felicia Day (Geek & Sundry), and created a show called Table Top. Actually, he created the show before that; the date given above is just when the first episode aired. The show was an unlikely success. I remember starting the first episode thinking it was going to be a train wreck, it was only a half hour long and I completely expected to shut it down no more than ten minutes in. When I finished the episode because of how enjoyable and engaging it was, I was as shocked as anyone.
The show went on to become a huge hit; the first episode is sitting at nearly 1.5 million views. With the shows success there was a decision made at some level I’m not aware of to dedicate an entire day to gathering with friends and gaming. Tabletop Day is about being social and having a good time with friends. To put it in their words…
“International TableTop Day is a celebration for all the fans of tabletop gaming. A single day where the whole world is brought together in a common purpose of spending time together and having fun.”
We could leave it right there, it perfectly defines the day and what it’s for. However, I think their description is wrong about one point. They say it’s for fans of tabletop gaming and to be fair it is however I think it’s bigger than that. While it’s certainly a day that fans of tabletop gaming whether board games, miniature games, or card games are going to have an immediate appreciation for. I think we need to expand this to people who don’t really know this applies to them.
To me, the reason Tabletop Day is important is that it more than any other holiday has only one reason for being; to get together with friends and family and be social. We have holidays year round that bring people together around a table and be with one another. However, every one of the other holidays has a built in reason for why it exists, be it religious, patriotic, or emotional; you have an expectation of what you need to do on those days. Whether its open presents, have a cookout, find colored eggs, or buy your significant other something romantic; you have a built in responsibility for every other holiday.
Tabletop Day has one requirement, get together with people and do something fun. If you think about that it’s kind of amazing. I think it’s also especially important in this day and age when people are so very busy. When was the last time most us had were able to just be with people we liked without forging a block of time. We always think we’ll have time later but then we never really do; that later never actually shows up.
Tabletop Day is later. It’s that point where we now have a day that we can all point to and say this is the day I’m going to spend time with my family and friends. This is later; this is when I’m going to make the time. Yes, it’s an arbitrary day, there’s no special significance with April 5th, at least none that I’m aware of, your mileage may vary. Why not April 5th, why can’t that be the day you sit down with your kids, your parents, your friends, your co-workers, or dorm mates and play poker, Candyland, Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, or Last Night on Earth. Do a puzzle, make a scrapbook, or build a model airplane. Just so long as you can sit at a table, have fun, and hold a conversation.
That’s why this day is important. That’s why it has to be around a table. As weird a statement as this is to make, you can’t be doing something active, because it’s fairly impossible to have a conversation during a game of hockey. I want people to have a good time anyway they want, I also feel people should go outside and be active, lord knows I need to do it more often, but it’s nearly impossible to have a conversation under those circumstances. To me the conversation is the important part of Tabletop Day.
People should have conversations. We need to talk more. Maybe I’m wrong, it’s possible, and won’t be the first or last time. I want to reconnect, I want to talk to people, and I want to have fun doing it. That’s why I think Tabletop Day is important, because when was the last time we really talked to each other.
This April 5th, get together with people you love, sit down, and pull out that dusty copy of Scrabble. Have a good day; a fun day. Just have a conversation with people you like. Hell, even if you have to play basketball so you can sit down afterwards for beer and wings to do it.
Let me know what you think. Are you planning on doing anything this TableTop Day? If it's passed, did you do anything? What did you play? Post below or head over to my Facebook page and leave a message there. You can also follow me on Twitter @stevemayne2. Also feel free to look my on Youtube.
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