MY DIRTY LITTLE SECRET

People always assume that we all do the same things that they do when we go home at night. PTA parents presume that the rest of us run around to meetings. Sports enthusiasts just know that we are all positioned in front of the current game. All in all, most people watch some TV, and make the likely assumption that you and I do too. Well, not me, at least not very often.

When people ask what I did last night, I’m normally pretty vague. They just won’t understand. I don’t want to be labeled or questioned. You see, I am a 31 year old, happily married career woman and I play computer games. Yup, that’s right, COMPUTER GAMES. To make matters worse, they are mostly online role-playing games.

 

I started out years ago as a sword-swinging animal trainer in Ultima Online. Since then, I’ve played many roles, one of my favorites being the fire-wielding Super Chick in City of Heroes. Currently, I’m a death dealing tank mage in World of Warcraft. I get a huge kick out playing MMORPGs, but I find it difficult to “admit” this to people whose reaction may not be so accepting.

 

Recently, I got into a conversation with some of my colleagues when they were discussing the computer and video games their kids were playing. I (reluctantly) admitted to playing WoW. After the moment of “You?????” passed, I was relieved to notice that there wasn’t the negativity I had expected in that response. It was more of a curiosity.

 

A short time later, I received a phone call from a friend and co-worker while my husband and I were mid-battle with who knows which evil creatures. I took the call since I assumed it must be important, but needed to react to something in game during the conversation. Of course, that caused the need to explain, however briefly, what it was that I was doing. I was shocked the next day when I was told how nice it was that my husband and I played video games together.

 

I still don’t walk around with a label screaming to the world that I love online role-playing games, but I am now much more likely to open up about it to more than just my closest friends and other gamers. The acceptance has been surprising.

 

Who knew my secret wouldn’t feel so dirty after all? And really, why do I care about those who don’t approve… its truly is their loss.

 

Lighte