By Cheryl Scheir
Will and Dakota will recognize on our next Zoom meeting that my son’s dungeon is now my office.
Let me clarify.
Will and Dakota have been friends with my son, Jake, since high school. Gaming and gaming gatherings, particularly around Dungeons & Dragons, are a big dimension of their friendship. Jake lived at home during part of the pandemic and before moving into his post-grad apartment, so Will and Dakota are used to seeing his room as a Zoom background.
Now that Jake has his own place, he gave me the OK to convert his room to my office. I still have a stack of about 60 Manga graphic novels to my left (off camera) and several boxes filled with books, binders, clothes, and other artifacts of Jake’s childhood (saved for him to look through when he gets a chance). Otherwise, the new set-up and decor is decidedly more “me” and much more suitable for my work style and processes.
Highlights include:
An ottoman by the window for my dog
A table to the right of my desk with a shabby chic charging station and house-shaped pen and pencil holder
Jake’s old shelf re-chotchkied with my framed black and white photos, some favorite books of mine, and my various planners and binders
My grandmother’s framed penmanship certificate from 1931(!)
Framed ribbons from 2 of my high school writing endeavors and a mother/son waltz contest (we came in second!)
A back rest/cushion (aka “husband”) on the bed behind me in case I need to have a comfortable think during the workday
I’m enjoying my new digs already and glad for Jake’s willingness to let me have a go of his space. I won’t be playing D&D anytime soon, but I’ll be sure to put it to good use.