[Scarecrow]

For me its mostly social now. The scene back when I started in 2002 was much different, very team oriented and I landed with a group that became my primary social group and almost an extended family. Some left to pursue the military, some had business interests, some left due to illness and funny enough some resisted any kind of change to the point that our interests diverged. I still enjoy the social aspects of hosting, doing a soup kitchen, writing up a game, helping a new host with games and selling BBs. Getting on the field with a gun, not so much unless its a Muskoka game, a Rawdon Game, the LZ or someplace where I run into my old social groups. Then when I joined the fire department, that same zeal I had for training in WP went into training to be a firefighter, and now I am part of that training team - which gives me a lot of satisfaction, as well as a secondary income (which I need).

Guys, its NORMAL for your interests to change over time. I find it funny that I felt the same kind of pressure to keep up with my weekly skirmish (a local field helped a lot) and team meetings and social gatherings and when I began to become more scarce it hurt some people and I felt bad about it and compelled to go because I didn't want to disappoint them. Bottom line, is be who you are, this sport is about having fun and making friends and getting some exercise - a lot of you would be shut-in-console junkies otherwise. But when it changes, take a break - don't sell all your stuff, but keep enough to jump back in, You'll find its a lot more fresh after a break and coming back. And do what YOU want to do, play the games YOU want to play. As long as you do that it will be fresh and fun.

One thing I should say to, and its important, especially for those who KNOW they were part of that social group with me - it was an intense period of my life and changed me as a person. I never had the courage to do the things I do now. People like Claymore, Morbius, Viking, Blackthorne, Bod... damn the list goes on - changed me into a stronger person. In training in WP I found "men" I never found in any other part of my life and developed a collective ethos and sense of purpose. I could never do what I do now (run into burning buildings with 60lbs of gear on and a hose in my hand) without that experience, and for that I am eternally grateful to those people who I consider brothers even though we don't see as much of each other anymore.

Don't discount life experience and believe me when I say, airsoft can be a life altering one with the right people, but, when change comes, it comes and sometimes you just need to do what YOU need to do. Don't feel guilty about it.