Unfortunately, it's no secret that I'm getting older. I turned forty this year, and I would be lying if I said I didn't feel sixty. But it comes to us all, the clock moves ever forward and it rarely does any of us any favours.
When I first started school I never had many friends, just people I would talk to, so that was a bit of a bust. When I went to secondary school I was reunited with my cousin Nicky (who has always been my best friend) and I made a couple of extra friends, so secondary school was sort of okay. It was only when I went to grammar school; when I got a bit older and a lot weirder that I actually made lots of friends, which was a bit surprising to me, but there you go.
Why am I telling you all this? Well, it's because the people you think are always going to be around forever actuall end up not being there when you grow up a bitp. And that's not me being miserable or negative, it's just an unfortunate fact of life. It's also something that the older people in your life never tell you about, so you've always got to find out about it on your own. Thanks, adults! Anyway, when I left school my friends and I drifted apart slowly but surely and we went our seperate ways. It's just the way it goes. Some people are lucky enough to stay close to their childhood friends all their lives, but in my experience it's rarely the case, but please, if I'm the only one, you let me know!
So what comes next? Work friends? Of course! Problem with that is they are just that, work friends. Sure, you might see them every now and again outside of work, but are they true friends? Hopefully, but usually not! Sometimes you find that one person at work that you just click with, and that's great. My whole point is, when you get older, you have kids and things get busy and the prospect of just hanging about is a distant figment of the past, making friends is a hard thing to do. Keeping them is even harder! Again, I may be wrong, I am really just talking about me!
So over the years, without me even realising it, I have ended up friendless. I know, boo hoo. Well, save your tears. I'm not alone by any means, their are plenty of people willing to suffer my personality for an extended period of time... namely, my family. But even then, you can end up going weeks without talking to them, because... life...
But I'd had enough of that. I wanted them with me, regularly. I love them too much to let them disappear. And for clarity, the "disappearing" was usually my fault. I'd end up finding the pub or finding something "better" to do. But in my advancing years I have realised that there really isn't anything better than family. And that's where the BHO comes in.
I've told you a hundred times how the BHO got started, but I have never told you what the starting of the BHO actually did, for me, at least. Now, when you start something that is aspiring to be a bit of a community or a place where people go to for one thing, where do you go?... Exactly, family and friends... if you have them. Luckily I have family. Well, enough of them came on board and we had enough that we could make a bit of a competition out of it. I must say, at this point, if it wasn't for Lee, my nephew (and newest best friend) taking it home to his family and my sister, Claire, we might not be where we are now!
Fast forward two years (sort of), we're still playing Yahtzee, and y'know what? We see each other every weekend. Yes we play Yahtzee, but now we are together also. It had been a long time since we had seen each other so often before Yahtzee came along. Again, this is probably my fault, and I lay no blame on anyone else but menn.
More than that, we have now got others involved. Because of Yahtzee, Jacob, a good friend of my nephew, Thomas, joined the BHO and he is now a very successful contender. Not only that, he has become a fine friend and a regular to our many shindigs. I guess you could even say that Millie, Lee's Welsh bit of crumpet, is a regular player! You see? We accept all sorts... yes, even the Welsh!
But EVEN more than THAT, we have had some new online players, that may or may not become regulars, by the names of Theo and "Milkshake". So, who knows, perhaps...
My point is, yes we play Yahtzee, yes we love Yahtzee, but it goes far beyond that! It keeps us together, it gives a reason to meet up. I know you can meet up at any time for any reason, but sometimes you need reminding of that. Well, we have Yahtzee, so we don't need reminding. You can call it our family's Titebond...
It is obviously no secret that I love Yahtzee. That particular cat is well and truly out of the bag. In fact, if I had no one to play it with, I would play by myself. And I have... often. So I do have a genuine love for the sport (yes, sport). But the reason it means the absolute world to me is because of the many things I get from it!
If I was to say that Yahtzee completes me, you would probably think I was an ultra pompous twat. And to be honest, I wouldn't blame you, because that sentence, in my opinion, is the kind of crap you hear from some gym rat on the 'roids, or a fifteen year old hormonally challenged little fella that just lost his virginity.
But, I am nothing if not honest, but Yahtzee really does kind of complete me. But before you throw up, let me explain, because there is a truly logic reason for why I am brazen enough to make such a vomit inducing claim, so just... hear me out!
Firstly, I have always loved writing. So much so that I have often tried to find an outlet for it. I've written songs, poems, books and scripts and I've always kept them to myself. But as soon as I began this blog, I now have a consistent amount of regular readers. This might not sound like a big thing to you, buit to me, it is actually huge, and I am grateful for this every day! It also means the world to me! It gives me a place to write and be heard... regardless of the daft I say!
Secondly, as previously mentioned, it keeps our dysfunctional family together! It's great to meet the horrible gits I call family on a regular basis, because despite all their flaws (they have many, I have none, wink wink) I just love being around them. Yes, Yahtzee is more or less the reason we get together, but really that just counts for about 10% of the evening. We might give each other a lot of shit, but in reality, we love each other more than we are able to quantify. The are the greatest humans I have ever known, the wankers!
Finally, it is the potential of Yahtzee! What doe that mean? Well, it means that that the BHO is all over the Internet and we are very welcoming when it comes to new players and potential friends. Now, I'm not gonna lie and pretend that we have dozens of new players; we have had two players that decided to dip their feet in the water in the Live matches. Unfortunately, we have not seen them since. But y'know what? So WHAT?! I advertise the Live Matches week in and week out. All members of our Discord are invited to play. So, yes, we have only had a couple of nibbles, but as I have said, this blog is now growing and I hope the participation grows with it, and more the merrier! I'm not begging for more players and I'm certainly not pressing the issue. Why not? Because the BHO is consistently growing and, in time, new players will come when they are ready. And we will welcome them with open arms!
So, yes, Yahtzee IS super duper mega important, but it would be nothing without the people that play. Old or new. I hope to play with our current members for a good long time to come. But I also hope that we make new and just as important friends along the way!
And before you all say anything, yes, this is probably a more sickeningly sentimental post than usual, but people do ask why I care about Yahtzee so much, so cringey or not, this is, for better or worse, the truth!
Keep rolling my friends!!
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