Last week, I flirted with quitting Magic. Naturally, this means that I quit Magic, didn’t play any, and will never again.
…
WRONG!
I played Legacy on Monday (2-2 with WU Control, beating Death & Taxes and Fish, losing to American Delver and Esper Control), team drafted Modern Masters on Wednesday (undefeated with UR splice), and drafted Theros (the houseguest who’s long overstayed its welcome) on Saturday (5-0-1 in two drafts, both UB with an Akroan artifact creature). I’ve broadcast ZZW, worked on my set, and followed Magic streams. So, what gives?
Simple. I didn’t quit. I decided to scale back my Magic and see what’s what. I skipped Tuesday Night Magic to sing (canceled on account of the horrid weather) and skipped FNM to hang out with my best friend and have dinner with my family. I felt energized! I felt rejuvenated! I felt like seeing my Magic friends! And yeah, I felt like playing Magic. So, I did. And it was good.
I’m a bit rusty at Theros draft, having eased off of it for the last two months. I’ve got to tighten up my play again, but that’s a challenge I’m happy to rise to. I’m not excited for Born of the Gods but I’ll play at prerelease before judging the set harshly. I think I might even… *gasp* rebuild some of my EDH decks and challenge Jess to a d-d-d-d-duel (with other folks, ’cause one-on-one EDH is silly and way too competitive).
My point today is simple. Listen to yourself. Listen to what you’re feeling, what you need, and what you want. Boredom, annoyance, frustration, and anger aren’t fun, but they’re useful in that they’re indicators of dissatisfaction. If you’re unhappy, the best way to pull yourself out of it is to engage your unhappiness rather than run from it. I was frustrated with Magic (among others things) and I’m doing my best to acknowledge, hear, and respond to my frustrations. I’m already feeling better.
—Zachary Barash
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Zachary Barash has been playing Magic on and off since 1994. He loves Limited and drafts every available format (including several that aren’t entirely meant to be drafted). He’s a proud Cube owner and performer, improvising entire musicals every week with his team, Petting Zoo. Zach has an obsession with Indian food that borders on being unhealthy.