Surviving Cancellation Part 2: The Return – MACE 2021
MACE 2021 has come and gone. All the build up and anxiety built up and died down. My true friends showed up and those that I want nothing to do with faded away. Grumblings did pop up here and there, but overall it seemed to fade away as expected. I found that my anxiety as things drew near was not quite as high as I thought it would be, decreased by all the friends telling me how much they were looking forward to the con. They say time heal all wounds and this one no different.
There is a lot that can be said. MACE 2021 was incredible, despite the low turnout. About half the size of past cons, it was still enjoyed by most and generally successful. I changed nothing about what I do and it seems everyone seemed to appreciate it. I adjust something every year and this time I directed people to the web site more with QR codes (that work this time). I also was not at the table as often as I usually am, letting people figure out things on their own. Thanks to Heath for volunteering when I was in the crafting contest (I won Best Story).
I have plans in my head for more adjustments. Auto-activation at the convention has to happen and I think it can happen at registration with a simple QR Code. They just can’t use the code until after they pay. But outside of some subtle changes, I ran the games I wanted, did the things I wanted to do and played in a few extra games. I walked around feeling loved and blessed and was much more positive than I was in the past. It took 25 years, but I was not the grumpy old guy behind the desk giving snarky comments to young skulls full of mush (to steal a Rush quote).
Back to the survival story, I think most that showed up were either people that support me, people that did not give a crap about what happened, or people that had no clue of what happened. There A LOT of newbies this year. You take those and bring back the regulars that did not show this year, and we are going to have a great con next year. In the end those snowflakes that refuse to support us any further were few and far between and probably would have been trouble at some point or another.
There are a few ironic things that happened during the convention and after. At the convention, as I mentioned, I participated in a crafting contest. I felt confident enough with my skills that I could at least make something decent. I ended up working right beside on of those that ran me through the online-ringer, calling me a N-a-zi because I flew the thin-blue line flag. While I do not agree with him at all, we were able to keep things civil. Forgiveness is hard but like I said, time heals all wounds.
Additionally we had the KR trial that concluded a week or so later. A teen carries a AR-15 into a developing riot with the intent of defending his community. This trigger a few people to attack him which in turn got them shot. I honestly see a little of the other side of this while at the same time, feel his actions were 100% self defense. This speaks directly to my statements that got all the attention online. While I am sure it bothered people I was willing to shoot people that threatened my property (and in turn my family), the fact is I have a legal right too. While they have a legal right to PEACFULLY protest perceived injustices, they do not have the right to burn down and destroy property. While I am sure you want to get people’s attention on these issues, Martin Luther King had it right and got results. He is rolling in his grave right now, ashamed of the movement now. I would stand right beside you if you remind peaceful but the moment you bring violence into the picture is when you may get it in kind.
If 100 individuals had done what KR did, it would have been called a counter protest or a legal militia protecting the town. Because it was one teen walking into a firestorm, it’s seen as something different. Sorry, that’s just not how it works and the 2nd Amendment, among other things, is written for this very thing. It speaks to why the Left wants to ban our firearms – because they want to get away with their sh*t without consequences. Guess what? That’s not going to happen.
In the end, MACE 2021 was a resounding success because a lot of the good people showed up and the a-holes stayed home. Other (non-a-hole) people stayed home for fear of the virus but hopefully they will be back. We can not live in fear forever. I stopped a long time ago. It re-invigorated me for more MACEs once again. I did not think I could feel that again, but I did.
I think that there were a lot of people that needed a release and gaming is that for some people. Those that came overcame their fear and just embraced life. I was surprised to see some people that showed up. It took a lot for them to get over their fear, I am sure. And it probably did not help that the mask-thing pretty much was out the window by Saturday morning. Less than half the people actually were wearing masks. I felt an asthma attack start right away and gave up.