What It Is About

The Role of Gaming in Friendships
There are many activities that bring us together and make it likely that friendships will be formed. Work, school, church, social clubs and volunteering all offer great opportunities to meet people and develop friendships. Many of those friendships will be based on mutual interests, some on shared experiences. Abraham Lincoln once remarked, "The better part of one's life consists of his friendships."
Many of the people I have known the longest and consider my best friends were met gaming. This is not an unusual story among gamers. The shared interest brings us together and facilitates shared fun and enjoyment. Other hobbies serve a similar purpose. The act of participating in a hobby (any hobby) allows us to not only gather in a group to share our interest, but to extend the pleasure of time together through individual time spent in pursuit of the hobby itself and in preparation for those corporate gatherings. 
Tabletop gaming is a social thing. Discussing matters pertaining to the hobby with other like minded people and sharing the interest is a joy. Retelling tales of tabletop adventure (embellishments included) can be as much fun as playing the game itself. The RPG hobby and tabletop games in general is a more social hobby than some others. It really comes down to the people. It's a social gathering, with certain accepted parameters, offering a chance to express oneself in a relaxed environment.
So what is gaming? It's using our imagination. It's learning about new things. It's about being creative. It's about the people you meet and the shared experience of playing the game. Steve Jackson, designer of GURPS and other games, writes, "The enjoyment you get out of a game is largely about who you're playing it with." Among people who want to have fun, treat others with respect and kindness, and enjoy a bit of a challenge, tabletop gaming can be the perfect hobby.