Evolution of a Gamer 6: School Daze (Classic EoG)
Ryan Johnson at The Gamers Lounge continues his series on the lessons both he and his son are learning as he grows up gaming. Originally posted on GoozerNation on September 24, 2011.
I have gamed all my life. Some of my earliest memories involve gaming. It's like my spiritual life: I never remember my "start" because I always just "was." Strange, too, because my parents and my sister were not gamers. Just me, an old banana yellow portable black and white TV, and Pitfall. That evolved in my own life, through the generations I ran from Mario to Final Fantasy. But consistently, my parents tried to show me that school was more important. I knew I needed school. I just didn't understand why I couldn't game when I wanted. Still to this day, I know what's important in life, and there's nothing wrong with still wanting to do what you enjoy, even though you're slogging through your daily chores.
But now, I'm the dad. And while I love my son enjoying my hobby, I now see why so many times my parents pushed for focus on studies. Right now, Kindergarten seems so simple, but he does have nightly homework, even if it is "write your name five times." Add in baths and a good bedtime, and nightly gaming just won't happen. Plus, he's got a father hooked on games AND him, so he tempts with co-op Lego Batman, Kirby, or Mario on Wii. I resist, no matter how much I want to join in. I discuss self control. I feel like my parents. We save it for a weekend night, and that makes it all the more special. I think about the mature games I am trying to complete: Red Dead and FF13; yet I know that this 13th run through Kirby level 1 is so much more worthy of my time and so magical simply because I get to do it with my son. I know that one day soon, I'll get a couple hours to game on my own and continue the games I'm enjoying, but still thoroughly enjoy my gaming time with my son even more. Mom and Dad, thanks for instilling that dedication to school back in the day. I finally know why.