I might be a little obsessed.
It’s something that happens to me every now and then. Whenever a new Harry Potter book comes out, I lose sleep reading “just one more chapter.” Over New Year’s weekend, after waking up late on the first, I watched season four of 24, in its entirety – 18 hours of TV show in the approximately 30 left of the holiday. I watch History of the World Part I and Office Space in rotation whenever I’m sick or feeling stressed. And of course, it happens with videogames, too.
Which brings us back to the initial statement … I might be a little obsessed. You see, a new game in a beloved franchise has taken my little gamer heart by storm. Dragon Quest 8 and its richly-colored, cell-shaded art and giggle-inducing fight animations has taken up residence in my PlayStation 2. I put in some solid time this past weekend, going to bed twice only because I had let one of my party-mates die after I fell asleep during a battle and somehow managed to keep hitting “Attack.”
And when I’m not at home playing it, I’m thinking, reading or talking about Dragon Quest. Ah, talking about it. If you’ve done any reading on our blog, you might have noticed that Jon, too, is suffering from this malady of Dragon Quest Obsession. He and I share office space. Just a little while ago, he and I were exchanging recipes – for the Alchemy Pot, of course. I’m now looking forward to playing again this evening, with my new information.
Some might think this is too much or silly or a waste of time. Well, I feel badly for those who’ve not been so excited by anything that they find my own excitement silly. It’s a good thing to let go and get completely wrapped up in something other than your everyday life. It helps us take a step out of our world and into another place for a while. It lends perspective.
So now, I’m feeling pretty good about life. Is this obsession all bad? Sure, if I were not here at work, writing this, helping get The Escapist out on time, we might have a problem. But, I am here, anticipating my next round with Yangus, Jessica and Angelo. Anticipation is an amazing state of being when it’s for a positive event. It’s part of the fun, not something to be overlooked or “gotten through.”
So, my advice? Savor the anticipation and everything in moderation – including moderation.
Cheers,
-Julianne Greer
Published: Jan 10, 2006 12:00 pm