BY JENNIFER MOONSONG
GLASGOW NEWS 1
Three years ago, Katie Davis, proprietress of Blue Shark Games and Hobbies, was working as a lab technician at a nursing home. A pandemic was in full force, and Davis didn’t like what she saw going on around her.
“All of my elderly people were dying – not of COVID, but of loneliness. They were isolated, and their families were not coming to see them. I wanted to bring people back together,” Davis said.
She desired a new direction in life. She wanted to see people having fun and enjoying life again, and she decided to surround herself with positivity by changing career paths.
Blue Shark Games and Hobbies, just off the Glasgow Public Square in the former Riherd’s Sports building, was the result. It opened in March 2021. Over the past two years, it has made a name for itself as a unique place. The store offers puzzles, pretties, collectibles, games and gadgets galore. People find everything from the popular to the rare, from the common to the quirky there.
“Me and my husband had owned a similar business before, so it wasn’t entirely new,” Davis said.
She is proud of what she has established, and it is much more than a retail stop.
“It is accomplishing what I wanted it to. It is bringing people together,” she said.
Every Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to noon, parents and children gather there to play Dungeons & Dragons in an impromptu club. The imaginative role-playing game became wildly popular in the late 1970s and ’80s. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the throwback game has seen a resurgence in popularity.
“We have children as young as 4 participating,” Davis said.
The imaginative role-paying game Dungeons & Dragons was first popular in the 1970s and ’80s and has recently make a comeback. SUBMITTED PHOTO
She describes it as a family friendly gathering. It is free to attend, and the only thing participants need to bring is their imaginations.
“We provide everything, including the story. It is awesome to watch the kids play. I have several parents who have learned the ropes, too, and they are the dungeon masters,” Davis said.
For Davis, the most rewarding part is being with people living in the real world, versus the virtual world.
“We have lots of kids playing online with people they’ve never even met. It is great to see these kids playing with other kids, and their families, and meeting new people. Some unlikely friendships have been forged,” Davis said.
She is also thrilled to see her patrons enjoying something that sparks creativity.
“It’s about imagination. It helps develop critical thinking, math skills, and problem-solving skills. They also have to work together to accomplish things. More than anything, though, it establishes real connection,” Davis said.
To learn more, visit the Blue Shark Games and Hobbies’ Facebook page.
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