My first game experience, aside from the standard board game experience of the late 70s, was watching my (much older) downstairs neighbors play Napoleonic and the often cited Chainmail wargaming. At that point it was more watching than playing. They would leave their door open and I would sit quietly in the door jam while they played their games. Looking back I realize that these two guys were a couple, but that didn't matter to me then (Still doesn't) and even better it didn't matter to my mom. (Thanks Mom!)
My neighbors were very interesting people to a 6 year old kid, they had Pet Spiders, Insects, a snake and a freaking white spotted bamboo shark as a pet too. Which was more of a hook for me then than a bunch of metal figures. I mean how often does a kid in the dead of an Alaskan winter get to feed a shark?
Eventually though, those minis caught my eye and it became habit for me to rush home from school just to sit in their doorway while they played and shuffled these metal figures over a tabletop. They were good guys and patient with my questions but didn't trust this nosey kid with their minis just yet. Once a week on Fridays they'd have friends over to play this other game too.
It took awhile but eventually I proved that I wasn't too annoying and I began to sit at their table to watch and learn and even occasionally give one or the other my superior wisdom and tactical advice. (haha)
I feel honored that they eventually let me play with them. Eventually my mom ended up getting re-married and we ended up moving to Florida two short years later, I'll never forget the good times they introduced me to. So I moved to a strange and raining land with nothing but a few toys and books, my clothes and a well worn white box with some dice and my very own elf mini they gave me to take care of.
Thanks you guys, even though we lost contact, I'll never forget.
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