When was that time when the characters were real characters? The players were really players? The nights of gaming were never ending? How old were you and what was the situation?
For me, it was in high school. We would get together every week. We had a gaming room and a gaming table. We stayed up till 4 am playing and sometimes picked up the next day. It probably started when I was 14 and kept going until I was 18. Then people split apart, moved, drifted away. Very sad.
I had a second renaissance just 2 years ago, that lasted 4-5 years. There were late nights, (although not as late) and there was a table (but not a gaming table). One friend went away, but is now back. We just haven't been able to get things going again.