[Ashwamedh] Win Some Lose Some And Then ...

Day 2,055, 12:27 • Published in India Serbia • by Ind1anMartyr

Its one of the many weekends I have had since I got old enough to realise the importance of weekends! 🙂 and here, just before I go to sleep (tanked with some truly impeccable Scotch) I decide to sign in and do what perhaps is more deeply ingrained than I thought! Yep, it means an article with hardly any pictures (cos my thoughts usually flow pretty fast and also cos its boring to try and figure out which of the google images will suit this!)

Let's go back in time, shall we? (not that far back! just till my previous article) That was the day when I finally had enough and actually did lose total interest in the game. You see I'm extremely passionate about what I do and wear my heart on my sleeve. I trust and believe everyone I meet (I'm an optimist and feel the glass is ALWAYS half full) ... so when my trust turns out to be misplaced, its bitter and I blame myself for being naive at this age!

Curiously, that actually is what brings me onto this article and why I do come back in bursts. I feel there are some truly mature players around and I also feel there are some young 'uns who could perhaps benefit from the input of a middle aged man who has been through the wars 🙂 (figuratively of course!)

Let me not make this a wall of text (apologies if it already is, please do not bother to read further if you think so!) ... let me get to something interesting...something that keeps my faith in fellow humans alive despite all that I have experienced. Ironically its been MMOs that have been the second most important influence in shaping who I am (the first and foremost being travelling)

Has anyone ever felt that it would be amazing to perhaps meet someone you don't know, who's down on his luck... and you change his life completely? I know its a rare thing and perhaps only a handful ever think beyond their own lives, but for those that do, this is a story about 2 remarkable people who never knew how amazing they were ...

2007 -

I used to play a 3D MMO called A3. I was a lowly knight and barely had time to level up my character or develop any serious skills. The game was ruled by little kids or older kids who ran cyber cafes and made a profit selling their characters or unique items. I felt out of place but still enjoyed the awesome levels and various effects. Goes without saying that higher level dudes were serious PK (player kill) addicts but thankfully with me having hardly any ambition, I would not really care and get pked pretty often 😃 One of these "high level" guys suddenly decided to stand by me and gave me immunity without knowing me and without me ever asking. Reason? cos I did not back down... I would always get pked but would come right back and still fight .. for me it was fun anyway!

We got closer and he would help me level up despite me protesting. Came a time when it would be 2 am and he and me would be one of the few awake in a raiding party and we would get chatting. Turned out reality was totally different! He was like my ingame character in real life - struggling for a job and to survive, while I was an old fuddy ... seemingly "got it made"

He was desperate to do something but had no "qualifications" (read - certificates) and no one was willing to trust him. Long story short, I trusted him, helped him get a job in Adobe after which he just took off. He never looked back and I was so proud of the fact that he proved my judgement of his character correct. I was the only one who trusted him and he did it!

PS : Based on a query - let me clarify..

a. I got him a job in Adobe India

b. He was so awesome, he worked hard and progressed all on his own

C. Got to a mid level post, went on a holiday to Goa.

d. Met a Belarusian girl on the beach who he saved from some goons. (yep sounds unbelievable but its true)

e. Got married 6 months ago and is now happy in Minsk (cos she cannot come down, turns out she is pretty rich!)

PPS : I did not do ANYTHING beyond give him his start - he did it all on his own 🙂 Im NOT the hero ... HE IS!

2013 - Where is he now? Currently in Minsk, a Belarusian citizen, married to a Belarusian girl and happy with life.... and I'm glad we stay in touch.

2009 - erepublik - I met an awesome man who had some serious leadership ability ... some serious mind blowing talent ... but who was frittering his life away. He had no faith in himself and very little self respect left. Alll he needed was for someone to show him his true potential.

It took time but Im glad he is almost halfway there 😃 oh he is doing wonderfully well with his family BUT he hasnt even begun to achieve what he can. I know he will go a long way 😃

Thats about it for my stupid stories, guess I just had to get them out here where people would read and perhaps do the same to others. Its in us to change the world... yes, I got betrayed by people - WHY? cos i believed in them being good.. many times over. Do I regret it? No, I do not truly...I feel sorry for them and I feel thankful that it at least made me realise this game with its STRENGTH and BOMBS and ROCKETS means squat. No, I treasure true humans and good friends and no longer stay slave to a game that I sympathised with, until it started cannibalising itself with its desire to garner riches. Thankfully at least 10% of the community is decent and this is my ode to them.

Thank you all (if you managed to read all the way down till here!) I request you to please help Sam - he feels lost, having to do too many tasks on his own. For everyone else, always have faith, you are destined to be BRILLIANT... believe in yourself and do not fall into falsehood or malpractice. Even if you try and justify it saying "its just a game" it becomes part of your real life... it corrupts your soul. When you spend hours on a game and end up doing ANYTHING to lie and cheat and justify yourself , it means you have already corrupted yourself and your false assurances are just an illusion - a bubble you make for yourself.

Be true to the game and to real life - you never know how amazing your true friends can be.

Maybe my sermon perhaps affected one person out of the probable 10 readers... I hope it did cos MMOs are closer to real life than you may think! (take it from a veteran!)

Jai Hind.. and never stop believing in the GOOD we humans can do! o/