My Life and Magic the Gathering: Part 1

The following was written in 2015, but it was overhauled in 2019 after Wizards of the Coast announced the Player’s Tour. Revisiting it was an emotional experience and I hope at least a few of you enjoy it. Whether you do or do not read all six installments, I appreciate you taking the time to give it a chance.

PROLOGUE:

At its very core, life is a collection of moments. Most are insignificant, but a few forever alter our journey.

When we think about moments that are truly life changing, we usually imagine the job we took, and the cross country move that came with it. It could just as easily be the one we turned down, or the relationship that blossomed into marriage. Then again, a lifelong friendship can boil down to where we’re assigned to sit on the first day of class or who lives next door growing up. What all these things have in common, is how rarely we identify their long-term resonance as they’re happening.

A game of Magic isn’t all that different. It feels natural to pump our fist after a decisive counter war decides the game in our favor. Of course, our opponent drawing the perfect card the turn before we win makes a good badbeat story. But, a game can also come down to which land we played on turn two or how we sequenced our cantrips.