Reflections of a middle-aged GM

       As I cruise into midlife I find it rather interesting that there may well be more gamers out there than I ever imagined as a teen playing Dragonquest back in 1981. Perhaps its just that my circle of relationships is so much larger now than as a teen, but I seem to have an abundance of players and not nearly enough time to play the various games that I would like to with them. My hope is that some of them will decide to run games for themselves because my track record for consistent playing is pretty poor. While I enjoy gaming immensely, it is still only a hobby, one among many, that I try to find room for while tending to the realities of my life and ministry.  One player has taken up that task and is running his own Dragonquest game. He is the youngest of the players and I think he has become very fond of the hobby. He is also frighteningly smart, I mean beyond smart. So are his two brothers and sister, I think the plutonium enriched milk really payed off for their parents. I am hoping that he might look at some other games as well. There is an abundance of excellent games.
       The current crop of new gamers rounds out at about 8 girls and 2 boys and 1 dad. The boys have broken into their own group and may add a few other players that I or the gaming prodigy mentioned above may suggest for the game.  Of the girls playing the game 4 of them are really committed to the game and 4 are relatively new. We'll see how they all shake out in the wash as they move through high school and get involved in other things.  2 of the girls rolled up characters for the game, but I suspect only because they hear their oldest sister talking about it and it sounds fun. I hope they play, but I don't know that they really will. My old gaming group from 12 years back would like to strike up something and that would bring in another 3 to 5 players depending on the group size.  It's a great problem to have.
       I keep trying to get the oldest girl playing to consider running a game, but she is more interested in playing. She is the daughter of a DM so it is her DESTINY!  But I don't think she sees it that way.  :(   Gaming is just one hobby among many. She is another of those incredibly smart people and I think she would do great at running a game. She is right on par with the previous prodigy. She has a full plate with the demands of High School, and probably does a better job taking it more seriously than I did.  I tended to think about the game during the last two years of High School and other ways to waste time. I never got any bad grades, but I certainly wasn't working at my full potential.
          Anywhoseit, recent experiences rolling up characters has made me consider some revisions for Dragonquest and the Blood Moon setting for the game. One of my main problems as a GM is my inability to leave the game alone. I am always adding something or doing some minor tweak or revision.