I had the pleasure last weekend of attending Dorkstock and the convention that hosts it, Gamehole Con, after a year off for the pandemic. Safety being a priority, the convention required proof of vaccination for those who are eligible (some attendees are too young for the vaccine) and the county currently requires masks for indoor gatherings, and the only place that ever felt crowded was the line for the food trucks. It was a lovely opportunity to be around friends again.
As is likely to happen at Dorkstock, we ran some Munchkin games (among others), but this time we ran them under the title of Munchkin Block Party. Each GameMaster (GM) selected two flavors of Munchkin, and multiple GMs were scheduled at the same time. When the players arrived for the scheduled event, they picked which Munchkin flavor they wanted to play: such as Munchkin Bites or Booty, Legends or Zombies. As an added bonus, we printed Munchkin playmats to track equipment and provided colored pencils for coloring, along with a wooden Munchkin/Dorkstock token; both were sent home with players afterwards (though not the pencils). A fabulous time was had by all.
Yet here we are, approaching Samhain, the religious holiday that predates Halloween, and I can’t help but think about the people we’ve lost. Samhain rituals honor the dead, remembering those who have gone before us, particularly any lost in the last year. For those of us living in the Northern hemisphere, and far enough north to have seasons, this coincides with the end of our growing seasons, which is evidenced as I frantically harvest the last tomatoes and peppers before a hard frost hit.
As you prepare your pumpkins, costumes, and candy, consider taking a few minutes to reflect on the people you would have liked to celebrate with this year who can no longer be with you. Globally, approximately 5 million people have been lost to the COVID pandemic. If you are among the fortunate who have not lost family members to it, spare that moment for someone who has.
Get vaccinated, gather safely, and hope that we learn from this global event.