I’m a Secret Gamer
After I graduated from college, I returned home to take care of my family. It wasn’t what I had wanted, but it was necessary. And after a year of unfaltering devotion, I needed a fresh start. My best friend attended a university in Portland, and upon her invitation, I decided to stay with her while I sought my new life. Part of the process meant wading back into the dating pool, which, to me, was a treacherous sea of forced conversations and awkward silences. I had zero expectations.
One night, while on a dating website, I read a post that piqued my interest. The author professed a love of geekery – zombie books, crass cartoons, video games, cooking, and music…all topics I thoroughly enjoyed. I hesitated for a moment…but I figured, what do I have to lose? So I zipped up my Space Invaders jacket, vanquished my fear, and replied. Several conversations later, he asked, “What kind of games do you play? I’m a secret gamer, but I play super weird games that I think are amazing.”
I replied, “I play all sorts of games. Pretty much anything, except for sports games. Give me an example of one of your super weird games. I’m a total gaming geek. I’m wearing my Space Invaders jacket as we speak. Err…chat.”
“I play games made by Atlus. My favorite game in the world is this insane, weird game called Persona 3. I also really like Katamari Damacy and Star Ocean. I also love the Super Mario games. Oldy timey, yes, but still super amazing.”
And that was all it took. A mere mention of P3 and we had bonded. I’d say it was an ice breaker, but the ice didn’t break so much as it burst into flame. He explained that his “secret gamer” status came from avoiding his friends, who often made fun of him for playing such “weird and bizarre” games. I was the only one he knew who played Atlus games. And it took no effort whatsoever to share that the ending tore us both up.
