So recently I decided to thumb through this blog’s past posts and found myself marveling at what I’d forgotten I had written about so many years ago. Some posts seem, well, meaningless at this point. Others hint at the future to come. Others are just interesting from a sentimental standpoint.

Which got me thinking that perhaps I’d regularly dredge up a blog post from days of yore, not just to share the old post, but to talk a little bit about how the post has aged, what I think now, etc. Let me know if it interests you.

For my first one, I chose The $4 GameMaster kit from June 2007. For those who don’t feel like clicking the link, I had found a small pocket folio that could hold and even keep filed separately index cards, plus had a small pad and pen, and only cost about $2.50. Here’s a photo:

Now I will tell you that this post is emblematic of a couple of hobby-related passions I had at time: index cards, frugality, and office supplies. I have actually done a bit of searching around the house and can not find this guy, which makes me wonder if it got tossed in the purge that happened when I moved. What’s worse, I can’t find another one anywhere.

But, I will say this, looking back on this post I can see some personal tendencies that only recently I’ve come to grips with. Namely the realization that empty binders do not fill themselves. A new pack of index cards, or a new roleplaying game, or a fresh box of miniatures will not do much at all to change my hobby experiences.

Time, creative energy, and a nurturing environment: these are the things that will truly inspire me to become a better gamemaster, player, and hobbyist.