Video Games Killed My Friends

I actually had the Ruggles song running through my brain (Video Killed The Radio Star) and I thought it would be an appropriate title for this entry.  I mentioned in an early entry that I had a bit of insight over the weekend.  It was a sudden flash of insight based on a very short conversation. 

I'd driven across town and picked up one of my friends for breakfast.  My friend noticed that I was distracted and asked why.  I told them that I was very contemplative and that my mind was whirring around certain things - one of them was the quote from Mary Oliver:

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do/with your one wild and precious life."

My friend responded instantly and defensively.  "When someone asks me that question I respond "I'm living it, what are you doing?"  The vehemance of the response caught me off guard. (I wasn't asking the question of my friend, but rather I was commenting on how it was the question that I was asking myself.)  I let it slide by and went on to enjoy breakfast, but I kept thinking about it.

There was a time when most of my friends were actively engaged in life.  They routinely "went places, met people and did things".  But, and I partly blame aging, over the last couple of years that level of engagement has fallen away.  For some of it, I actually blame video games. Now, this isn't an anti-video game screed by any means.  I play the occasional video game and I enjoy them. (I am currently playing Skyrim when I am in the mood.)  I play far fewer hours than my friends - perhaps two to four hours a week, if that.

Most of my friend play, conservatively, in excess of 12 hours a week, some of them a lot more.  In essence, they play an entire day or two of video games. My hat has always been off to the inventors of video games - if you think about it from a pyschological standpoint, through the use of flashing lights and moving figures and imaginary micro-rewards and accomplishments, they've managed to convince millions of people to spend millions and millions of hours to sit in front of a computer screen and press buttons.  Not only that, but they have convinced people to pay them for the privilege.  Wow.  (Hahahaha - pun intended.)

Somehow, I don't think that when we get to the end of our one wild and precious life, we're going to lament that we won't be able to play anymore video games.  Or watch any more T.V..  Maybe it's just me.  Maybe it is just a reflection of who I am and where I am going in my life but, there are plenty of other things I would rather be doing with my one wild and precious life.  In the end, it's all a judgement call.