The passing of BRK

I have only just learned that the author of long time blog, Big Red Kitty, is departing the game in order to spend more time with his wife. This wasn't something which, truthfully, I was ever really consciously expecting to see happen. BRK has been a veritable institution where our class in World of Warcraft is concerned; he was already a Hunter of renown when I was only first entering the game, and was, through his writing, instrumental in my own learning of the class.

This was initially stunning news, although it is not entirely unpredictable, when I think more deeply on it. BRK once posted a photograph of his wife, and I can remember thinking at the time, without any exaggeration whatsoever, that she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen, to the point where I momentarily questioned whether or not that truly was his wife, or the photo of a model that had been obtained elsewhere.

I find it also cause for some pondering, that BRK mentions that he has, in truth, been unable to balance employment, family life, and World of Warcraft.

BRK's posting of the photo of his wife, as well as his mention of a number of other details over the several years that I have intermittently read his site, had truthfully led me to gain the impression of an unusually highly self-actualised individual; someone who had apparently accomplished the rare feat of reaching the summit of Maslow's Hierarchy. Apparently at least a reasonably high-ranking former military man, he has certainly also been able to capitalise on the opportunity for fame and personal advancement presented by World of Warcraft, to a sufficiently greater extent than myself that it is laughable for me to mention both of us in the same sentence; he had also been able to develop his WoW presence into a source of offline income as well.

I've known people from a number of different apparent socioeconomic levels within this game. Most people, of course, are fairly ordinary, but every now and again, you come across a few people who are apparently every bit as successful outside of the game as they are inside it.

If it is true, however, that his level of focus on WoW is potentially threatening to jeopardise his good fortune in other areas of his life, then I would most certainly agree with him that the only prudent course of action is to withdraw from the game, and restore the balance. That is something which I myself have often needed to do, to the point where that actually accounts for the reason why I have not been more effective within the game than I have.

There are only so many hours in the day; it falls to each of us to decide how best our time may be spent.