Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Tough Decision

I’ve hit an awkward moment in my life. I’m at the point where I have to make some big decisions. Decisions I never really thought I would have to face. I guess you grow up with this idea in your head that you aren’t going to change. That you’ll always be the same person. Maintaining the same interests, the same pastimes, enjoying the same food and just sticking to with what always works for you. You watch everyone around you change, but for some reason, you always think that you’re the same, unchanged person.

I’m getting older and my responsibilities are changing. There are things that I want to hang on to, but I wonder if it’s acceptable anymore. I also know that things can’t stay the way they are. I look around and I see a lot of my friends in the same position. I think we’re all a little lost and no one has a clue about what to do.

If it isn’t already painfully obvious, and I’m sure it is, I’m talking about video games. I’m sure you’ll all agree that few things trump video games in the area of life imperatives. When I was younger, I was an avid gamer. I had all the time in the world and no money to buy the games. I somehow made do by getting my fix from various friends and sometimes, total strangers (I’m not proud of that, but I’m not sorry either. I had a long conversation about this recently with Ben Wallace and we agree. It’s nothing to be sorry about.). Now, as I approach 30, I’ve got the money to buy the games, but I just don’t have the time to play them. I’m sure now you can all see how hard this is. I have to decide what other things to cut back on if I want to enjoy my gaming. The xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Wii all have such wonderful possibilities, it’s almost impossible to ignore.

You just don’t think about things like this when you’re younger. You don’t think decisions this hard will ever be put in front of you. I don’t want to be one of those guys that hangs on too long, but I’m also still to proud of what I’ve accomplished in the past to be replaced by some young punk that doesn’t even know the difference between Pac-Man and Qbert.

It’s keeping me awake at night. I appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers as I struggle through this most difficult issue.

2 comments:

cadiz12 said...

it'll be okay, jon. i think video games in small doses are just fine for players of all ages. but if you're spending 40-50 hours a week playing WarCraft or something, i think you're going to need to find a better way to spend your time. i was reading in the paper that gaming is being classified as an addiction, much like gambling and drinking.

moderation. moderation is the key.

omar said...

Things to cut back on:
- Cloning
- Riding motorcycles (I get a financial kickback from your family every time I mention it)
- Sleeping
- Falling up stairs

Things to not cut back on:
- blogging (you've set a dangerous precedent here, with this NaBloPoMo thing)

This year is the first since the game came out that I have NOT purchased Madden. It's been a very sad fall season for me.