Play Entry 10 - Friends/Catch up Play

I am trying to get back to playing Magic with enthusiasm but my enjoyment of the set is still minimal. The story doesn't move me, the cards are hard to read. If the cards are hard to read the play moves from "thing I like to do" to "thing I have to do"

This is made more complicated by the fact that it is my academic study for this year - there is no "putting down" this version of the game for me until I like the next release better.

I have called out to Twitter and let the field know I am having problems with the "fun" part asking for someone who loves this set to help.

I did notice that someone who joined me in the critique and feels the mechanics muddy also enjoys the play of the set. This is why this entry is here.

Is there a kind of "fun" in shared complaint? Is shared complaint an aspect of play.

For me it is a barrier that I have asked for help with - however is the fact that I asked for help rather than just say "oh I'm not feeling this set" a sign of something like "desire for play"?

My friend who I have not seen socially for a year is coming out - we will deal with my cards and spending time with her is part of the "recharge" I am attempting - she does remind me to play I remind her to play this game. They physical mass of my cards will be some of what we have to deal with. But we will also go shopping, get our nails done and bake.

This is one of the more interesting spaces - those activities are things that should be mundane or chores - but I do not have time for them so they are now defined as leisure - if I didn't have a friend coming to share them with I might not have made time for those things at all - even though except for baking they are needed.

Am I only defining them as leisure BECAUSE they are self-care based? Is some sense of play or leisure based in "selfishness" or is it gendered because focusing on self is so antithetical to "being a good X" that I have internalized it as "less important" and thus subliminally coded"less important as == leisure  || optional. Is play only that which is not "required"?