Having started 3 weeks after the 50th anniversary of D-Day (oh the stories I have heard!!!) I have seen a huge change to what you are talking about in WWII.
I too have become one of the get there on Friday bug out after the battle is over guys. Why?
It sure as hell isn't because I want to get back into the real world. I am a supervisor at Rubbermaid working 80 hours a week (5 days on 16 hour shifts - 7 days off) At home I have a wife and 3 daughters. Do you really think I want to go back to that?
Reality is that I have to. Either I have to get back to work or the wife is screaming at me to be home with the family and
not go out into the dungeon to make blanks My wife is very serious about going to church, someone has to watch the little monsters while she goes. That = me. Where do you think I would rather be?
A lot of it with others is demographics as well. I forget the numbers off the top of my head, but something like 75% of the population has been at their job for less than 2 years, 50% for less than 1 year. Getting the time off is simply a problem. Divorces are way too common and getting back home to get the kids for the weekend that you are allowed to have them is a problem for some. This has been
absolute hell on our unit this year. We dropped from 12 attending to 3-4 at best due to all the reasons above. Yea it will get better as time goes by, but the year is shot now.
Many have just come into a hobby that has been like this since they started and don't know any better. Todays society wants fast on the spot entertainment. Once the shooting is over, the guys think it is time to go home.
Myself, I would love to stick around and have told my wife we will be doing so at this weekends Torrance PA event. That will be the only one for this year though. The problem in a nutshell is life outside of the hobby doesn't allow for it most of the time, other just don't think to allow for it.
If we all stuck around to BS with each other a little bit more I think a lot of the BS politics would go away too - but again, that may be part of the problem,
I don't like them so I am going home, when talking for 5 minutes just might solve most of the ego-centric problems in the hobby.
Just my unsolicited opinion. Take it for what opinions are worth.
Robb