Melbacon

Last weekend was Melbacon.

Not a big deal in the Australian gaming calendar, nor even in the Canberra gaming calendar.

Biggest event of the year in my gaming calendar.

For the last 25+ years, three of my best mates - Action Man, Mister Q and Raggie - and I have gathered at either my joint or Q's, and enjoyed a mini-con of our own devising, usually involving wargaming, board games, roleplaying games, movies, and ridiculous levels of laughter.

Most of all, it's a way to refresh friendships dating back decades, and escaping from whatever worries we may have at the moment.

I think this last is important. We all have lives and commitments and responsibilities and we watch the news and read the papers... escaping from all those for a couple of days and basically being silly boys again is like a health spa for the soul.

I reckon everyone should have their own Melbacon.

I am now published...

I became a published author in my own right last week.

Cue fanfare.

I still have my day job, and probably will for some time to come. My life, at least outside my head, is no different. I live in the same house, I drive the same truck, my kids still look at me the same way...

But inside my head everything is different.

I now know I can do it. I know the story of this little book - not the story IN the book, of course I know that - but the story OF this book. What it has done, the smiles it's delivered, and - without too much hubris - the way it's brightened the lives of at least two readers.

That's what matters.

Oh sure, the mansions and the hovercrafts and the parties where we all fill the swimming pool with hundred dollar bills and swim in it and laugh and laugh and laugh would be grand, but putting a smile on someone's face when they don't have one, that's solid gold right there.

Job done, little book. Job done.