Forza

     I will now take a video game about racing and somehow make it bigger because that seems to be my deal lately.  I still remember the first games.  The lines and blips on a screen.  The excitement was unbelievable.  Restaurants were graded on their arcade and bars were acceptable as long as they had a pinball game or something else to keep me occupied.  When I was young we lived out of a hotel for a bit while my Dad worked on some fancy shmancy building in North Carolina.  It sounds bad but it wasn't.  I had a big fat bed and they had a gorgeous pool that I would spend my days in.  Meals were at the adjoining restaurant and I would head for the table video game that devoured quarters.  Video games were just coming to this world back in the 70's and the transformation has been humungous.  I played games through high school and college as a form of stress release.  They take you away from real life for a few minutes as you are too busy to concentrate on anything else or you will get blown up, eaten, fall into some hole or even die.
     I took a break for a few years with just an occasional trip to D&B for a little fun time.  Then the Wii came out and my kids were older and it all lined up.  Rockband was a wonderful addition as well.  The problem is as an adult now I am having greater and greater difficulty allowing myself to "play games" while there is so much real life to be living.  My children are showing me once again that sometimes playing games...especially as a group...can be living.  I have always loved board games and family game night so maybe it is ok if it's just on the tv through a system every once and a while.  I have been opening my closed off little mind to learning more.  I check out the gaming magazine if I have a moment just to check on the games that are good.  Forza keeps getting props for being incredible and what kid wouldn't love a game about racing gorgeous cars?  So while at the video game place yesterday I noticed the old one was in my budget...a used copy sat there for under $3.  Guess what?  It still takes your mind off of real life for a little while especially while going 121 mph in the hopes of not crashing your car.  The kid who rocked good grades and worked hard with jobs and sports and life found time to play video games as a stress release...maybe this adult should take a page out of her own old life.  Now I just have to figure out how to play it without my hands cramping up because I am squeezing the life out of the controller!