Impact

As she walked up to me I vaguely recognized her, but couldn't place her exactly. She said, "I just want to thank you for helping me find a team at that GP." Ahh, my memory jogged, she was the player whose teammates had missed their flight and she almost didn't get to play in a team GP. There had been another player who was there without a team as well, we'll call him Rick (not his real name). Rick had asked me all day about finding a team, but as the registration lead there was really not much I could do. When she showed up that afternoon, I had introduced the two of them. They had been able to find a third and compete in the event. Later that weekend she had dropped by registration to thank me and tell me that they had almost made day 2. I felt a sense of satisfaction at being able to unite two players and turn their disappointment into a fun weekend.

Now, almost a year later, halfway across the country this woman had sought me out again. She continued, "That weekend really changed my life. I appreciate your help." As a Magic judge I'm always excited to help players out and make sure they have great experiences, but this praise seemed over the top. Then Rick walked up and thanked me as well. As they walked away hand in hand, she smiled over her shoulder and said, "We've been dating for six months."