I always wanted to be a dwarf warrior. It makes sense that the nerdy, not-really-athletic, 12-year-old me wanted to be a strong, badass adventurer when I played Dungeons & Dragons with my cousins. Since I was never one of the popular kids, I had a chance through role-playing games to stretch out my imagination and try on different personas. I could learn how to work with others and how to problem-solve. And I got to feel powerful and in control (which are feelings usually lacking in adolescence). I was reminded of my role-playing adventures in grade school while watching the Netflix series Stranger Things. The show revolves … [Read more...]