I've devised a short poem: "Some sit and kill monsters with the clicks of mice. Some sit and slay dragons with a roll of the dice. That's all good, but my hero gets a workout playing Amtgard at my park in the sun, rain and ice."
I don't go there to win every battle or be able to kill monsters at every turn. At Amtgard I learn how to have fun, what it feels like to live, die, and live again, and what it's like to be the hero and sometimes the villain. My enjoyment and comradeship...REAL honor and respect, are my treasure. And firsthand experience is the best way to feel "leveled up." I shed a tear for those who haven't found the desire to rise with us, and I raise a glass to the ones that have.
I know this post won't have the effect on this crowd as much as it did the other one I posted this in, but some passions are meant to be shared, even if I'm addressing a different tribe.