Another Emotional Ramble About Video Games

Sometimes I get hung up on the most ridiculous things and people think I've gone a little crazy. Whether it's a single line from a book, a work of art, heck, even a certain Peanuts comic, odds are there's a creative type somewhere with a deep emotional attachment to it. Seriously, kids these days will cling to almost anything like we're at our first day of pre K and it's a security blanket. And the funny thing is it's not usually even a material object; for instance I was just watching some Wind Waker videos on Youtube with my brother and if my emotions were stars my place would look like a middle school hipster's Tumblr. I honestly feel like video games are seriously underestimated even in this day and age. In all likelihood 99.999999% percent of us won't get to sail around the world, and none of us will end up taking off in a spaceship powered by smiles with Goofy and Donald Duck (to all y'all who don't know about Kingdom Hearts that probably sounds like nonsense) and while books are a great way to live vicariously through fictional characters it's not actually your actions that are influencing whatever world the story happens to take place in. In a game you may just be solving puzzles and mashing buttons but in some small way you really become the hero and I think that's dandy. In a way video games can be more than just an escape from the dullness of the day to day, they make you feel powerful; you're saving worlds, your helping solve that universe's problems while forgetting your own. Now the games I've referenced both evoke very different emotions and this can be summarized pretty nicely by talking about their opening themes. Let's start with Wind Waker, if you've played this game you know that cheerful tune that plays in the main menu, it makes me want to do a jig and run off on an adventure shouting "HYAH HA!". And then there's KH... Oh Dearly Beloved, what words shall I use to describe you? Kingdom Hearts was one of the first non Mario type games I ever played and the melancholy menu music has all the workers in the thought factory slamming their first on the nostalgia button. Now don't take this as me putting books down or saying they're not as good as gaming, that's not it at all. Both of reading and gaming are different escape roots from metaphorical dungeon of anxiety and they're both amazing. Basically, guys, it's three in the morning, I've got a lot of emotions, and what I'm trying to say is video games are really something else and I'll always have a special place in my heart for them. I could go on and on but that's gonna be it for now, gang. Until next time. Much Love, Gabby