Normals (noun)- someone who is not a part of a hobby that the user of the term is a member of, and will probably not understand what the hobby entails
As a wargamer I have often gotten the feeling that some people look down on me believing that I want a war. Quite the contrary. Having studied military strategy and learned about war, what it does to people, and the cost in civilian and military lives. I've seen pictures of combat zones, I've read first hand accounts of people who where in combat zones, Hell, I have friends in some of those combat zones. I do not want war.
The fact that I have studied wars, has made me want all wars to end. I do not wargame to make light of war. Yes, I do have fun playing the games that I play, but that's because I'm playing with little glorified toys. That's what they are, toys. It's no different than Call of Duty, Battlefield, and all those other video games that depict armed conflicts, except that my hobby, and all those in the community's hobby, cost more money and time.
If I am going to be looked down upon for playing war games, then why should we not look down on chess players. Chess is a "war game" It's a game about a battlefield. It's just abstracted into black and white squares and black and white figures. The only difference between chess and the games I play, is that they are clearly defined conflicts opposed to an abstract board game.
At the heart of my hobby, it is a way for me to remember and to honour those brave souls who have decided to fight for their countries and for what they believed in, regardless of country, nationality, or beliefs. A way to remember all those people who died and those who still have not gotten to go home.
Thank you for taking a few moments out of your day to read this.
