We all have ways to decompress from stress in our lives.

A lot of my time off is spent watching movies and talking about movies with others on social media.

One of the other areas I’ve found a release recently has been playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends, as I mentioned in an October column in passing.

Or, as usually happens with most D and D groups, “acquaintances I knew from other places that have quickly become friends.”

There’s just something about throwing dice and collaborative storytelling that breaks down your barriers quickly. Even if the session seems to accomplish no combat, you still have fun joking and talking with your fellow players.

After a few weeks of not spending time around a table, you really crave that social interaction. It’s much like the story we have on the LBC’s impact in this community in this week’s newspaper – as social people, we all crave our communities, our friends, our niches and connections that many of those community members have found there. This is just one of those connections for me.

And because many of these friends are in plays, musicals, other activities—On the weeks I’m not playing and not busy elsewhere like at the Bijou for what they are showing, well, now other social opportunities arise.

I think of my time in this community, much like I did in Algona, of finding that the connections we make start bringing you what you need in your life. As a journalist, the schedule can be wonky. It isn’t a traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job. Some weeks, I have five or six different activities throughout the week for the newspaper on my schedule, sometimes two or three things going on the same evening.

But saying yes, I’m interested to someone who said I’m thinking of running a limited campaign has done wonderful things. Just like community game nights a few years ago when the Bijou was closed, it has given me something to plan and look forward to.

Getting good at cutting charcuterie before a session to share with the group and improve my dexterity/precision with a sharp knife, people to talk about what’s stressing me in a given week/weeks and then take time away from all of that at a table with friends.