"Good Evening brothers and sisters of The Planetary Federation. I'm Metallogie Q. Sunstrike, and I have another tragic story to report on the consequences of Internet game addiction. Yes, despite medical advances, it's still the disease that won't go away.
Two lives were shattered, however, perhaps beyond recovery. These two men have only today learned that they have lost track of over 20 years of their lives while they were busy getting their screen time.
"Yes, today we'll hear from these two brothers, victims of one of the most addictive games of the earlier years of this millenium, World of Warcraft, or WoW, or Warcrack as it was called back in the day.
"The drama is playing out now, as family members try to comfort the addicts as they wait to be picked up by FlashSpeed Cyberaddict Recovery Services to be taken in for detox and rehab treatment.
"The men are Zoroaster and Zola Chand, of the 3500 block of South Michael Jackson Lane. They were found wandering half-naked, confused and crying this morning by a neighbor, a Henry Higginsworth. Mr. Higginsworth found them going from house to house looking for a spare computer to use after both of theirs died around the same time late last night. They were getting hysterical and wailing because they could not play their game.
"Internet game addiction afflicts approximately 40 percent of those who play, the same percentage as before we had the Dopamine inhibitors that stop addiction if taken properly.
"Their fathers losing 20 years in virtual reality must come as quite a shock to their grown children. Sabine, the eldest daughter of Zola, told me all the kids were taking it hard despite having disowned the addicted fathers years ago.
"Together the men have five children. Zola's are Sabine 20, Rickie-Q 19, and Ernie-Zee 17. Zoroaster has a son Cliff 19, and a daughter, Zee-Zum, 17."
"These poor kids." Metallogie shook her extensions mournfully. "Certainly they must be embarrassed today. We feel deeply for them."
"Oh here comes Sabine and one of the other ones heading towards us now.
"Sabine, and who is this with you? Okay, Cliff. What has this nightmare has been like for you kids?"
"My childhood was worse than for someone whose Dad had the decency to leave if he wasn't going to show up and be there for the family. We were stuck with this grinning idiot on the couch who never bathed and stank up the house. I couldn't stand to see that immobile body that never went anywhere--like to a job to earn some money. No, he left supporting us entirely to my mother. He couldn't be expected to miss his screen time."
"And how about you, darlin'" Metallogie turned to Sabine.
"Same thing. I don't think my father ever knew how old I was at any time, or what grade I was in, if I was dating, or if I got in trouble... My mother raised us by herself. She didn't even try to discuss us with him, because he had no interest in anything but WoW. And that hurt...
"You poor kids..." Metallogie cut her off. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the brothers, shuffling in the way psychotic people do,but definitely headed her way.
"The brothers have finally made it over here to say a few words now. Let's begin with you Zola. I understand you had quite a shock today."
"Yes, I was shocked that my sonofabitchin' computer quit on me and I couldn't get my screen time. I was going to make the next level today for sure too."
"Wasn't there something else that happened today? Something about your wife Jonesie?"
"Oh yeah, she left me a note saying she was leaving me. I was all crying and upset but then one of my kids, maybe it was the girl, Sabine, pointed out that the letter was dated about six years back, so why was I acting like it happened today?
"Today I was going to get to the next level, and then this went and happened. I'll never buy another computer from Macro-Apple I'll tell you. Garbage! Crap! Just got the thing not long ago too. The warranty better still be good.
"Besides, as far as Jonesie goes, she told me a long time ago that it was over when I told her I didn't want to be bothered with my bedroom husbandly duties. I couldn't focus on anything but WoW, and it just made me cranky to have to be away from the game that long. I don't know why it took her so long to leave. Listen, are they just jackin' me around or is it really 2020?"
"No, Zola it really is 2020. You've been in virtual reality since the early part of this millenium."
"I'll be damned. The time flew by."
"Addiction is a thief of everything a person has, and we must bear that in mind," Metallogie intoned ponderously looking into the camera.
"The two emergency workers are here with the men now. I'm going to see if we can get them to say a few words about their evaluation of the brothers.
"Obviously, both Zola and Zoroaster have not been taking care of themselves physically while living in their virtual world. They are emaciated, suffering from malnutrition I don't doubt, have untreated bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, report ongoing acute and chronic migraines, and Zola says that a doctor once told him he had a deep vein thrombosis from sitting so much. The rest of their medical problems will be determined by physicians at the recovery center.
"I have seen cases where people have lost time before due to Internet game addiction, but never quite as much as 20 years. It will be one tough road back for these two guys, I'm afraid."
"Thank you. And thank you all for watching and remember this story if you are ever tempted to play Internet video games. That's it for tonight. Peace and higher Consciousness, I'm Metallogie Q. Sunstrike."
http://emlynchand.com/2011/01/22/writing-contest-week-1-give-me-1000-words-on-rip-van-video-gamer/
This is the authentic voice of an old woman who hopes she has learned some things to share. It is about transformation. It is becoming our true selves. It is finally about returning to Oneness. It is also about writing and recovery.
Reminder: Enter the Contest, Two Must Have/Must Reads & Mini-Meditations
If you don't journal, start with the exercises in this book. They are not stupid, silly, superficial or time-wasters like so many journaling prompts you will find on the Internet and in books. You will get to revelations that normally take years with a spiritual counselor or therapist, and I've compared both.
It's an illuminating book I'm sure. The subtitle is "A Spiritual Practice for Times Like These."
It really is for times like these too. I have a problem meditating because of my ADD and distractible monkey mind. I started the day off badly by skipping over morning journaling for the most part, giving a big "Later" to prayer and meditation and going right to the computer.
My hacker, Dave, was ready for me and stopped pretty much every action I tried to initiate until I felt like I might tear my hair out at the very least. I wanted the peace of mind I normally enjoy in the morning. I picked up this book remembering an exercise that I had found peace from before.
Since it's not a murder mystery I'll go ahead and tell you what the seven whispers are. She calls them "seven directions" that came into her mind over a period of months. She writes, "They are short, memorable phrases that can be recited as prayer and remembered in moments of need. I think of them as whispers of spiritual connection."
Because Christina Baldwin has already proven herself to me as someone intuitive, spiritually advanced, always growing and intellectually as well as emotionally brilliant, I trust that there will be much wisdom to come in the seven whispers. They are listed as:
Maintain peace of mind.
Move at the pace of guidance.
Practice certainty of purpose.
Surrender to surprise.
Ask for what you need and offer what you can.
Love the folks in front of you.
Return to the world.
I am anxious to see what is revealed about each. I am only up to the second one. Back to my new mini-meditation for "times like these." I was all jingled-jangled with frayed nerves after hassling for several hours with Dave, and then I remembered something that helped me in this book. She wrote about the simple teaching of the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. Here it is, my new borrowed idea of a mini-meditation for those who can't sit still and don't focus too well:
Take one breath to let go, one breath to be here, and one breath to ask now what?
I really did feel myself letting go, being present and ready to ask now what without reservation. Try it and let me know how it works for you. Do it now. You can do it wherever you are.
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The post I wrote about this blog's first contest in was so long I expect no one will ever read it. I will make that a New Year's resolution: To write blog posts that are shorter. I will really work on this, but it may take some getting used to for me. Let me know when they're still too long.
Let me recap the contest for those who couldn't wade through all that verbiage.
It's a contest about giving up being cool for the sake of becoming authentic as many of us have done. It is a welcome relief to no longer feel obliged to keep up with the latest music, styles and trends in favor of that old time religion of comfort, genuineness, things that last and have lasting meaning, friendships that go deep and are lasting, not being ashamed to enjoy the square things in life that we used to be too hip to be seen doing like playing Bingo, rink roller skating, and going dumpster diving for goods like books, clothes and household stuff (I'm working my way up to food). Maybe that last part is a bit too real for some of you, but I bet you do things too like go to Swamp-A-Rama on Sunday mornings and I hope it's not to pick up eight-tracks or Monkey posters, but, hey, if it is, we want your submission in this contest.
My brother-in-law who has always had the latest and best music as long as I've known him (45 years) recently confessed that he recently stopped listening to music because he wasn't getting as much out of it as before. Reminded me of how pot gave me up by making me paranoid long before I gave it up because I was in a recovery program for alcohol and drugs. You get older and things change. I don't wear makeup anymore. I'm not out to impress anyone and Lord knows I'm not into flirting with another old fart my same age. It would seem like some sort of weird incest I think. You know who you are and you know who that other person is. There's no mystery, no allure. How can there be romance. Okay, sisters, start writing me your comments. My e-mail address is posted on the top of this blog.
Send in a page or two about how that change took place--gradually, radically; how it affected the significant others in your life; what new interests and hobbies came with it; do old friends believe it's still you in there building model airplanes on a Saturday night? Give plenty of specific examples of how you have or haven't changed. If you are a legitimately born and bred cool dude (that's both sexes) like Johnny Depp, Jack Nicholson, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Cyndi Lauper or the like then tell us about how that is today, and you might still win a prize. If you want to know what the prizes are go back and look at that blog issue please so this post will remain short on logorrhea as promised.
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