I'm writing this because I have to do so. Not due to deadlines, not because I have tech- hell, I have barely played Pauper in the past week- and not because I want to write this. I have to write this, because I feel as if I do not get this out, I might not be able to write anything of value again.

Last week, something horrible happened where I work. I work at a college just north of Manhattan. A lot of the staff live on campus, and I am one of those who live here. I love my job. I get to work with students and watch them succeed (and sometimes not), but I get to watch them grow.

One, sadly, will not be growing anymore.

One of my friends will never be the same.

Last week, one of our students was murdered by her mother, in my apartment complex. The father is my co-worker, and was one of the first people to become my friend here. We bonded over baseball, the Mets. Since I have started working here, we have easily spent eight hours talking nothing but baseball. While that might not seem like a lot, it meant so much to know there was someone who shared an interest, someone with whom I could share the ups and downs of a season. Someone with whom I could share the pain of being a Mets fan.

I saw what loss is, and it puts things in perspective.

Our campus drew together, our community unified to remember the student and friend we lost, and the passing of our friend's daughter in truly senseless circumstances. We grew closer and took stock of our lives.

That is part of what I am trying to do here. Taking stock. It is more than that, but, like most articles, I have to break it up so I can better understand it, and better present what I have to say.

What I do with Pauper is not much different than what I do at work. I help people, however I can, with my writing. I present ideas and solutions and have helped to create and sustain a community than thankfully will go on after I stop writing. Magic is a community, and that is incredibly important.

How many of you have taken a break from the game? I have- a few. Nothing lasted more than a few months, mostly because I missed people. I took a long break from paper, but recently got back into it and remembered why I love this game. Yes, Magic is fun, but playing the game with people and sharing stories and pizza, that is something else.

I am not trying to be a purist, tell you all to go to local game stores, as your buddy list on line is another way to have a community and way to share. What I am saying is to take stock- what does Magic mean to you? Is it a diversion? A game? A profession? What you do every Friday? Between D & D sessions? To me, Magic is a game, and a way to make friends and give back. I like to teach, and watching the twelve year olds at my store pick up the game is wonderful. Getting pizza and sharing our lives, both inside and outside the game, is something I enjoy. We are all there because we love Magic, but also because we love the company- the camaraderie.

Community is important, because it gives you something to fall back on. I found this shop when I had the urge to shuffle cards again, and people there quickly became my friends. In hard times, I fell back to these people , and they listened. It helped. It still helps.

The memorial service on campus was the same night as draft night. That community I found has a second home, at least those of us old enough to drive. At the Worldwake pre-release, a player who I had not seen at the store before (but looked familiar) started talking with me about our draft decks. He must have seen something in what I said about his deck, because by the end of the night, we were talking about a weekly draft group. When I saw the standings, I realized why I recognized him. It was Seth Burn, and for the past three weeks, we have been holding team drafts in my apartment.

I came home, seeing people gathered around my door. I was a wreck- emotionally exhausted and just needed to think about something besides the tragedy. I was able to do that with my friends. I went 1-2 and lost (here's a hint- don't draft UR), but our team pulled out the win anyway. I could have lost, and I would not have cared- I was playing Magic. I was having fun again. It was that night, with my friend trying to splash Iona in his mono-Green deck that made me appreciate the game even more. Because it is more than a game. That night, Magic helped me get back to something normal.

I hope my friend has his own version of Magic.

I hope you all do as well. If you have it in Magic, you are lucky. If you have it at all, be grateful.

I will be back with more strategy soon, once I get a chance to fully game with Worldwake. In the meanwhile, I want to close this up with something else personal. Those who know me know I am a fan of the writing of Mike Flores. For years, he would end his articles with the words “LOVE MIKE.”

Why? I now know. Writing is love. I love writing, I love how it makes me feel, and I love that it allows me to connect with all of you. Please, if you take anything away, go and make connections, either in Magic or outside, because Magic is just a game, but it can be so much more. It helped me get through this week, and I hope it is with me for a long time after.

Keep slingin' commons-

-Alex