OK....so maybe I am a big kid....but I like playing video games. It is kind of neat to live out a fantasy life where reality and common sense don't apply and you make all the rules. You know, just like The US Congress. I've had my fair share of video game consoles....Nintendo, Playstation, SEGA and the always popular ATARI. At one point, the cable company in Lake Charles had something called the "SEGA Channel" where you played games on TV! Sure, it's not a big deal now....but back in 1995 it was awesome. Games have come a long way since Mario chased Peach around while some cretin turtle kept hiding her....but game players...well, they are all the same.
Once, while my nephews were at my house playing SEGA I noticed the oldest one sitting on my floor very involved in "Dr. Robotnkick's Mean Bean Machine". As I looked closer I noticed he was bouncing. "Creedence" (no, that's not his real name) I asked "are you OK?" "I'm fine Uncle Mark" he said without moving his eyes off the TV. Several minutes later little Creedence peed on himself. Yup, 10 years old too. "What possible reason would you have for not going to the bathroom?" I asked. "I was on my last bean" was the sincere reply. Well, far be it from me to risk the last bean rather than have my carpet stained. My dog didn't pee in the house...my nephew did.
My son, at 10 years old, could manipulate SONIC through a series of mazes that looked like they were developed by some acid crazed lunatic...yet he could not remember to 'right side' his pants when he put them on. Add to this, he actually had some difficulty figuring out why his pockets were on the outside of his pants. "Hey dad, is it supposed to look like this?"
Saturday mornings my kids would spend hours moving a character around a maze leaving bombs at strategic points to blow up the enemies on the screen. (Bomberman) This took planning, timing, and patience. At 11 years old this was a pretty cool thing....except these same children could not navigate my house in order to get dirty clothes where they belonged or toys back in the correct room.
My son, playing a 'shooter game', could plan an imaginary attack on a small village which included planning the approach, the directions taken once inside the village, timing of each stop, and an exit strategy. This would including rescuing imaginary hostages in a dark room while it's raining (with flashes of lightening every 4 seconds) various other characters shooting lasers at his character, and a sound track that sounded like a cat was being forced (using a pressure washer) through a 1 inch diameter pipe.
He would complete this task successfully, without any problems. However, asking him to help clean the kitchen and put the dishes away was pandemonium. "Who put the milk in the pantry?" "Why are there dirty dishes in the oven?" "Why is the dog in the trash can?".
Psychologists might argue that living out a fantasy is a good thing now and then. Being able to set your own rules, have no consequence to your actions, and living outside of reality is great....but I would suggest you just run for Congress to get that.....not spend hours in front of the television.
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