I am a gamer...for better or worse.
It's a part of me, part of who I am. My avatars and characters were also a part of me and helped me become who I am today. I still look back on all of them with fond memories.
I have no shame for the endless hours spent gaming. In retrospect, I could have done better things with my time. There were many times where I stayed up too late, or avoided obligations and ****ed off a friend or family member because of my selfishness. But these are things I regret and have tried to make amends for. I am not perfect, I make mistakes and probably will make mistakes again.
I am not a world class skier. I can't really draw or paint. I can't sing very well. I'm not particularly charismatic. I don't generally fit into mainstream society and I don't make a particularly good employee. I like people, ok...but mostly from a distance. That's just me.
I'm just a gamer...
Ron
"Get a Life!"
Ron Jaffe AKA Diggo McDiggity
OLGA Admin and Member since 2001
eMail: ronjaffe@cfl.rr.com
Co-Founder of OLGA and member since 2002
I'm not a gamer.
Liz Woolley
Um. That was probably one of the most simple, yet honest things I've ever read in my life. I'd ever go so far to say its borderline brilliant. Nice work, my friend.
I too am a gamer, but unlike you I do regret the vast majority of the time I wasted playing. I know it is quite possible that I could have easily replaced gaming with another addiction, but nothing is so much more custom tailored to addiction than gaming. It costs very little money, provided you already have a computer. It requires almost zero energy or effort. Its not very mentally challenging, provided you're playing a grinding type mmorpg. And you don't have to go anywhere to do it.
You just get up, maybe grab something to eat, and sit your arse down in the chair. Thats all thats really required of you.
Cheers.
Brad
Thanks, Brad.
Shame can be a motivator for change - By some accounts, I should encourage people to be shameful for the time they spent gaming and not tell folks that I have anything other than disgust for my time gaming.
But I have been full circle.
When you come out the other side, you realize that all of your life's experiences make up the person you are today...good and bad. Those bad experiences related to gaming were hurtful to many. But they helped build my character to make me the person I am today.
I was thinking before I 'penned' that, that I have never really fit into any particular social group in school or afterwards. But gaming is something that I just did and still do for fun. I was ashamed at first... but then I learned and made amends.
We each have to face our demons, literally, when it comes to our gaming problems and issues. For some, shame is a motivator. For others, there is some other method. But we each must find our place and whether we choose to game again and some point, we must reconcile our time spent online.
It is different for each of us.
Gaming is nothing to be proud of... but it is also nothing to be ashamed of. Those things are determined by how our gaming affects our lives and relationships and what we do to address them.
Ron
"Get a Life!"
Ron Jaffe AKA Diggo McDiggity
OLGA Admin and Member since 2001
eMail: ronjaffe@cfl.rr.com
Co-Founder of OLGA and member since 2002
I, too am a gamer. But for me, it's not as much an addiction, but one of my favorite hobbies, among various other things.
-Mutt
Creator of Perki Goth/Candi Raver
And MPLH
I am a gamer.
I just have chosen to move on to an other game. Life.
All the enthusiasm and intensity with which I used to tackle the old games do not have to end.
I know that I cannot play the old games anymore, but that is just me and does not have to be generalized.
Liz and Ron, you are both right.
Though considering the nature and goal of this forum saying "I am an alcoholic" can be borderline brilliant as well as borderline stupid, depending on the underlying thoughts.
Life is a much more compelling game, I agree. The rewards are greater and the pitfalls are just part of the experience.
While I admittedly still game, it is just one of many activities I do in my day. Beforehand, it was the main focus of my life.
For those without gaming problems, it's hard to conceive of how your life can be so wrapped up in such a mindless activity and how your real life can snowball into a life of pain and depression while you are doing it.
Ron
"Get a Life!"
Ron Jaffe AKA Diggo McDiggity
OLGA Admin and Member since 2001
eMail: ronjaffe@cfl.rr.com
Co-Founder of OLGA and member since 2002
Considering, I do say "I am an Alcohlic", I know that if I were still into my addiction, my life would be nothing near the quality of what it is now.
I would say screw life, and all of you, and not care about myself or anyone else. Just continue the self-indulging activity of getting through life, with as little effort from myself as possible.
So, which one are you?
Liz
Liz Woolley
Wait, Liz, you're an alcoholic? I don't know much about you, other than you started this website because your son commited suicide because of Everquest. I could even be wrong about that. So what is your story?
If the thing about your son is indeed true, than I'm tremendously sorry. I know how devastating suicide can be. I personally sat with a gun in my lap, prior to checking myself into the hospital. I'm very, very sorry, Liz.
Sincerely,
Brad
Quote:Wait, Liz, you're an alcoholic?Even worse than that ... She's a 'Wisconsinite.'
Beware the cheese heads!!
(Sorry for the injection of humor. I'm just strange that way)
Ron
"Get a Life!"
Ron Jaffe AKA Diggo McDiggity
OLGA Admin and Member since 2001
eMail: ronjaffe@cfl.rr.com
Co-Founder of OLGA and member since 2002