The Sorrows of Magic and the Beatles

[FoundationOfRancor]

Hey all, FoR here.

Well, to start this thread on a positive note, does anyone here like the beatles? I, being a moslty alternative and rock fan, am really getting into the beatles as of late. Im Listing to the newest re-publish thing, their "1" cd. Anyone connect with me on this one?

Anyway, on a lower note...have any you lost friends due to magic?
Let me explain my current situation.

Me and my friends (all...oh, 4 I have. lol) dont have that much free time on our hands, what little we have we like to spend it together.

Well, I introduced magic to them recently. Some of them liked it, but one friend (Lets call him....oh....why not rick?) didnt like it. Hated it. Hates it so much he refuses to attend a social gathering where the 'magic' is being distrubuted.

This is a problem. I was like "Damn!"

Rick is slowly being cut out of our social circle, which now equals a magic circle. The latest event, which broke his back I think, was when he saw all of us on his bus to go to another friends home. He was hurt when he wasnt invited.

Now, about this time I relize im babbiling, and all this usless patter can be reduced to:

1.) Do you like the beatles?
2.) Have you ever lost friends because your involved in magic?

 

[MrXarvox]

Q.1: I guess so. they're not bad.

Q.2: nope. Magic's only gained me friends.

 

[Zadok001]

1. Sometimes, mood depending. At the moment, I think I like Savage Garden, but that'll change in ten minutes, no doubt.

2. Not really, no. It sometimes limits my interaction with other social circles, but I've found a lot of people who don't play the game enjoy watching. My girlfriend tends to hang over my shoulder while I'm playing, watching. She doesn't know what on earth I mean when I say "In response, I activate Survival to discard a Morphling, searching for a Reya. I make my Shapeshifter untargetable. Discard Reya to get a Sliver Queen. Do you want to concede now or later?" But hey, she still watches...

 

[Chaos Turtle]

1) Yeah, I kind of dig the Beatles. I also picked up the 1 compilation and gave it a good listen. Just yesterday, even, I got my hands on The Beatles/1967-1970, a double-CD with a whole load of songs (28) that were hits in those years.

2) No, I have never lost a friend as a result of my Magic habit. In fact, I met my best friend in the whole world when a nephew brought him over to meet me (cuz I'm so cool) and I taught him the game.
He's long since stopped playing, but we're still best buds, because... well, we're friends.

Now, a little unsolictited advice about your friend:

From what you've written, it sounds like your friend brought his gradual exclusion from "the group" upon himself. I quote, "Hates it so much he refuses to attend a social gathering where the 'magic' is being distrubuted."

Well, now, that's his problem isn't it? How could he have been hurt that he wasn't invited along, if he refuses to be in the same room as the Magical Cards?

But!
If you and your circle of friends does nothing but play Magic when you get together, I wonder if I blame him? I mean, if every gathering is dominated by "tapping" and "attacking" with little pieces of cardboard, it's possible you bored the poor guy into seeking deliverance from your mad, mad ways.

My suggestion, if you actually care about whether you keep this friend or not (cuz good friends are damn hard to find, let me tell you) is to try to have some non-Magic social gatherings occasionally, and to have something for the non-Magic-playing people to do when the rest of you are going wild around the table.
Also, it's only fair to let your friend know that he's not right to expect you all to give up your hobby just because he doesn't like it. Then, try to find the things that your friend does like, and do them once in awhile.

There is such a thing as too much Magic, after all... I should know.

Good luck.

 

[Sammy Dead-O]

...quite an interesting pair of subjects.

1. Yep, I love the Beatles. There are so many levels of their work that are great to listen to. You can listen to their mop-top early stuff if you just want some rock n'roll, or you can listen to Sgt. Pepper if you want to be schooled in the art of the total record.

I also enjoy the universality of some of their songs. I don't think it's just that we've heard 'em all so often; it's more like they grabbed a part of the collective unconscious that the rest of us would've ignored. A melody like "I Will," which isn't exactly the most commonly heard Beatles tune, is like something that is always floating in the air of the Western World, and Lennon and McCartney just happened to put it down on tape.

But besides that unnecessary deep thought stuff, Beatles songs are just good songs. My old (blues/folk/rock) band used to cover "Norwegian Wood," and the ska band I'm in now does a reggae version of "I'm Looking Through You." With any luck, we'll have a ska cover of "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" ready soon. The Beatles have so much to draw from.


2. The only similar story I have is this: I used to be a music geek. All I wanted to do was play the drums and go to shows and talk about music. I became very good friends with this one guy through our going to shows and listening to music and talking about music and playing in a band together.

Well, then I discovered gaming. I started to become a gaming geek (because whatever I like, I tend to really get into). While I know this guy likes games of sorts (Go, for example), he tends to disregard Magic as something he wants to be around at all. So, unfortunately, the more time I spend playing my little hobby games--and spending time in their communities on websites like this--the less time I spend with him. Most of our time together now is just band rehearsals, which is a shame. I try to make sure I approach games from the perspective of their being a medium that brings people together; it's too bad, then, when stuff like this happens.

Chaos Turtle is on the right track; there's a compromise to be reached. Non-Magic players should probably be willing to open up to it a little, but let's face it--unless you've caught the Magic bug, it has to seem like a very specific thing to spend a lot of time and energy on. And, for the most part, it's not a little party game that you can just sit down, learn, and have a great time with.

I've never played Magic with my girlfriend. I've played other CCGs, but not Magic. She's not a "gamer," but she loves games...and so do I, and so do most people. So, in most social situations, I'm perfectly happy playing Spades or Oh Hell or Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit or Taboo or Balderdash or whatever else is there. I just love games, and they're usually a chance to enjoy time with others.

Well...I'm rambling...I nearly have a grip on what I'm trying to say, but it's not coming out well. Maybe you can glean something from my post.

At any rate, just remember that Magic isn't everything. It isn't nearly as important as our relationships with others. There are balances to be found on everyone's part. Good luck with it.

 

[Darsh]

1: I just got the "1" cd about a week ago and I love it.

2: No, we just talk about other things besides magic.

 

[Almindhra]

1. I think the Beatles are overrated and I wish people would stop saying they love them to be in this kind of cool group of Beatles fans...Its pathetic...I like some of their songs, but I refuse to say I like them, the band, and all their songs because I am not a yuppie...

2. My bf introduced me to Magic 6 months into our relationship...I had this hidden gamer side of me in my subconscious that has been waiting to be freed...See my life was overtaken by music for 5 years, and I didn't have time for anything else...So I'm happy that he unleashed the gamer in me...

I then introduced the game to my close friend, Matt...He was then plagued by the losing aura that is Mr. O...We have tried to correct this problem in our dear friend Matt, but he still insists on playing White and Green, and thinks that Black is horrid...

But back on topic...Magic just brought Luke, Matt, and myself all closer together...Its something we all really enjoy doing...Now what did the kids at school think?...Maybe it wasn't so much of the Magic than it was of the Pokemon, but I think they thought I was a little bit odd...Maybe it was me shouting out things like "Pikachu" and carrying around my Psyduck keychain...I don't know...But they all thought I was a wee bit strange...

 

[Hetemti]

No, and no.

 

[FoundationOfRancor]

1.)

Almindhra: Doe, what are you talking about? I dont say I like the beatles to be in the "cool group of Beatles fans." I say I like them because...well, I like them! None of my friends like them...


2.)
Chaos Turtle: Well, see, thats the thing. We talk about alot of other things, and we watch a movie or something like that while playing. We usually dont even play all that much. My friend has just made a stand against them, and just doesent want to be around them.

I would say its his problem.

But, weve been friends for 4 years, and he means something to me...either way, I jsut wanted to give an example of how magic *could* pull friends apart.

Thanks for commenting!

 

[Chaos Turtle]

Jeez, Almindhra! So you don't like The Beatles, okay!

There's a difference between being a fan, and just liking some of a group's songs.

FoR: RIght, sounds like it's his hang-up. If he absolutely refuses to be around you when you "do the Magic thing" then that's all you can do, really.

Maybe he'll come around if he realizies that he's putting the friendship in jeopardy.

 

[Apollo]

I kinda like some of the Beatles' songs. In general, I find them kind of annoying, but that's just me.

Zadok, I think she's just putting up with you. The boredom and rage is slowly building inside of her, until one day when she snaps...

 

[Apollo]

By the way, Zadok, the same also goes for that poor guy you're playing FEB against...

 

[Spiderman]

Like most of the Beatles songs on "1", so I'll probably get it sometime.

of course, it's their greatest hits so of course I like it; it's their well-known songs. Some of their songs are a bit loony.

Haven't lost a friend to Magic when I played.