Last night I had a dream. It was quite powerful. Just to give you a preview so you can follow along better, the theme of my dream was basically:

We started this to help people. To give them a place to go. A place where they can be understood.

The dream begins in a small, local college theater. I sit in the audience of a nearly empty room. The few people that are with me are litterally there with me. We are doing something.

As we talk it becomes clear that we are putting on something. It appears to be a talk of some kind. Maybe a show. Some sort of entertainment that will triple as an experience and a lecture. However, the focus is on video games. So, we’re going to play video games.

Besides the awkward situation of having to now ask for forgiveness instead of permission to use the theater (because apparently we just decided to use the theater without asking), people begin to head up on stage. People who are not “us.” So, I make my way down. I walk up and begin to shuffle these people off stage. Not to run them off, but rather to talk to them about the plan.

Some of them follow me, and some of them don’t. The crowd is growing. And now they are watching as this whole thing begins to fall apart. I hear chuckles, laughter, and general conversational noises. I try to bring down the curtains, but I can’t find the correct cord to pull. Another person says they’ll get it, and I leave them to it.

I return to the few people who are still off stage. I explain a few more things to them as the people who made it on stage continue to “perform.” Suddenly, a young, blonde headed child bursts in a stage door. The child is angry. I don’t remember exactly what the child said, but it was something to the effect of “what’s with the shenanigans? This isn’t what we came to see.”

I agree.

So, I attempt to shut this down. I run people off stage, and I gather as much control as I can. However, there is someone who began this event with me who has doubts about what we’re doing. He’s not sure if this is going to work. He’s scared of the chaos. He’s not sure it’s worth it. As we stand outside in the field I remind him why we started this:

This is for the people who have no where else to go. The people like us. The ones who need someone to understand. People who are looking to us to make connections and build relationships. These people are lost and we are going to show them the way.

The rest of the dream wasn’t as much of a story as it was simulations of plans. We had a few of us on stage. We had the game systems and PCs for us to play on, and a large screen behind us for the audience to see. We played the games well, while also providing colorful commentary. We brought some audience members on stage to play with us. We answered comment cards that people filled out in the lobby. We told our own personal stories, some happy, some sad, some humorous. And we shared in the emotions of the audience members. After the show we met with audience members, made new aqaintances, and provided people with resources to help with anything they need.

The one thing that stood out to me, the thing that I could not forget, the thing that drove me to spend time creating a logo and intro animation for the majority of the the day was a very simple phrase:

Gamer is OK

As in “being a gamer” or having that label is OK. It’s not bad to be a gamer. Video games are not inherently bad or evil or antisocial. However, this phrase also took on more meanings as I meditated on it. PC gamers are OK, but so are console gamers, mobile gamers, young gamers, old gamers, female gamers, racing gamers, puzzle gamers… Whether you play Fortnight (why tho) or you love your iPhone games it’s OK. It’s all OK.

Every Gamer is OK

But also

This Gamer is OK

My little logo began to look more like a stamp, aknowledging the struggle that many people go through, and confirming that this gamer is indeed going to be OK.

Everything is going to be OK

Gamer is OK

-Diggs Out

P.S. – now… do I pursue these ideas and begin an organization dedicated to helping peole who turn to games in lieu of actual, positive human interaction?