The D&D Thirty Day Challenge, Day 1: How I Got Started (part 1)

For the longest time, I have been wanting memorialize my "D&D" origin story so that when I'm in my elder years and my memory might possibly not fire on all cylinders, I will be able to reflect on some of the best times of my childhood from that magical era of 1970s and 1980s. I even have a page set aside on my blog to post my gaming history (when I do get around to piecing it together.)

Today, my friend Mark Clover of Creative Mountain Games posted on Facebook a picture announcing the "The D&D Thirty Day Challenge." I usually do not participate in the social media follies of "X Days of Y Challenge." For whatever reason this time, my interest is piqued. My writing skills are starting to get a little shabby and could use some practice. Writing posts on Facebook is getting to be a drag, with almost every discussion turning into an argument over something stupid. Therefore, I have brushed the virtual dust off of my blog. It has not been posted to in years. This is where I will be corralling my posts so I can ramble on without annoying my Facebook friends and family that have no interest in gaming (which could possibly also end up in an internet peeing competition.) This is where I will be responding to the 30 days of challenges.

Please also note, part 2 of "How I got Started" which will contain the actual meat and potatoes of my introduction to D&D is going to take a little bit of time to complete and will most certainly need to be broken into a few posts. It's probably long winded. Actually, I am certain of it! However, I just love telling that story.

With that said, if you want the BLUF (gotta love the military acronyms... this one means Bottom Line Up Front) then here it is...

I started "playing" D&D in the same manner children played "cops and robbers" with some friends in late 1979. In the summer of 1980, I begged my mother to sign me up in my town's summer recreation program because every Wednesday afternoon, one of the activities I could choose (like there really was a choice) was "Dungeons & Dragons." Sure there was kickball, crafts, and bowling trips on the other days, but D&D was the treasure to be looted. That summer, I became the owner of the Basic Set that was edited by J. Eric Holmes. It cost my mother $1! That's a cool story, as well, but will be told another day.

In the fall of that year, my mother got me the four AD&D rulebooks. That's how the fabulous avalanche began.