Respects...

Dear Gary,

It's been a year now since you left us. I put a humble post on my blog when I heard the news. It was just something short and simple about how I met you once at a convention and how your game changed my life and allowed me to meet nearly all the friends I have today. I just wanted to put something on my blog again this year.

Thanks for doing what you did, when you did.

We all miss you, even those of us who never met you. Your creation touched my life and it's offspring continue to touch my life all the time. I still make friends to this day and have good times with my old friends because of that game that you created. Even though we are not playing "your" game anymore, we're all still gaming and it's all thanks to you.

I hope you haven't shaken things up too much up there and I still hope you'll let me have a seat for a session or two when I get there as well.

Thanks for all the memories I've had and the friends I've met from gaming (and have yet to meet!)

Your friend,

Jason

E. Gary Gygax

I don't even know where to begin to be honest. Redbull and I spoke about the passing of Mr. Gygax yesterday and I have to admit, I just couldn't put the words together last night to make an entry. I don't have much more straightened out in my brain right now, but I just wanted to take a couple of minutes in front of my computer to say : "Thanks again, Mr. Gygax." I only wished I could have told him in person again.

I had the pleasure of meeting Gary at ICON-11 or 12 in 1992 here in New York. I stumbled into a room at the convention a little before anyone was supposed to be there and lo and behold, Gary was in the room. He smiled when he saw my friend and I enter and introduced himself and spoke with us for about twenty or twenty-five minutes about the game itself and answered our very childish but sincere questions and even told us what his first character was, I only wish I could remember that detail now. He said the name and class. He then signed both mine and my friend's programs. Mine says "Spells and Swords! - E. Gary Gygax". My friend's says "Shade and Sweet Waters." Good stuff. Good stuff.

That was 15+ years ago, and I had started gaming in earnest 4 years before that. I'm still friends with one of those guys, best of friends one could say. I met almost every other friend that I have today either directly or indirectly through the hobby. I owe you a debt of gratitude and I hope my little story and my kind words does something to diminish it.

Till we meet again, save a seat at the table for me when I get there, I want to try the original Tomb of Horrors ok?