It’s just a game. Is it?
When shocking, violent events occur, my heart goes out to both the victims as the perpetrator(s). Hurt people hurt people. An article I wrote three years ago came to my mind, while I played a board-game with my husband recently. The game is about trying to concur the other persons flag and I like this came due to strategic thinking necessary. It also is a way to keep practicing my memory. However, it involves attacking the other persons army. Hmm. I try not to be a hypocrite. What are your thoughts?
It’s just a game. Is it?
Several years ago, my husband and I were playing an online game. You had to build a village from scratch, gather building materials and create an army. With that army you attacked other villages around you and eventually take over as many villages as possible, to conquer the imaginary world.Connecting with other players, joining a tribe and before we knew it, we were addicted to the game. Even to a point my husband would come home after work, he switched places with me behind the desk, I started to cook, and he played on. One day it hit us; what the h… were we doing??! We had allowed the game taken over our lives and that was (an understatement) ridiculous.
During 2016, we both had a stressful year: playing a game can unwind you to a point. So, we started again. This time on separate accounts and we agreed just to play until we would move to our new house. After the relocation, we haven’t played anymore.
Recently, I started to think about that game again. Not! to start playing it again, but about how a game can consume you completely. You can’t go through life without some form of unwinding, relaxing time, or however you want to call it. Enjoying life, laughing, dancing… so important to not always take ‘things’ too seriously. Playing games, old school like monopoly or cards and/or computer games, is fun. They are just games.
Are they?
Survival of the fittest. That’s nature’s core, therefor in our core too. The attraction to war-games are explainable and for a long time I thought; better to fight in a game, a surreal world, than in the real world. I fooled myself by thinking; it’s just a game.
Honest… is it?
The frustration, anger and violence seem to increase worldwide. The level of intolerance drops by the minute, racism and discrimination is the order of the day, again. Although I’m wondering if it ever did not exist.
Social media are increasing too, and more and more, one can read an article about online-bullying. About children and adults addicted to their mobile phones, tablets, games. Games who have evolved, no longer imaginary animated figures only, but realistic settings and almost impossible to differ real from unreal.
It’s just a game. Is it?
Playing war-games, fighting games, games with the intend to kill one and another. Children seem to grasp the fact, the little animated figures are surreal, even better as adults. Are they still able to do that with those new evolved realistic games? If I see a young girl beating up her little dog (did really happen and I screamed my lungs out of my body to stop her, since I was too far away to get her off the dog) my concern towards the future grows. Children are our future and a song comes to my mind:
“I believe the Children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children’s laughter
remind us how we used to be”(1)
How long will it take, before children stop laughing and nobody is left to remind us how we used to be? I intend to never play a game again wherein I have to stab, shoot, hurt, kill another creature.
It’s just a game. Is it?
(1)First couplet, Whitney Houston – Greatest love of all
Originally posted December 2016. Re-published March 2019.
33 Responses
Nicely done
ThanXxX
My pleasure. You are great
You too, my friend, you too !
The truth has been spoken by Patty Wolters,
The message is clear, what will be left in this world when children loose their smiles at quite a young age.
This post extra ordinary, brilliantly done Pat! – Cezane
Thanks dear Bro, your are making me blush again 😉 XxX
Mooi! Think I might know that game. Or a similar one ? Stopped playing… ? Love xxx
Dank je!
Vermoedelijk vanwege dezelfde reden? XxX
Dat vermoed ik wel ?? xxx
I feel so good not be addicted to any game. I used to play them up when I got my first computer but that was back in the mid 90’s, when games were just games.
The good old days 😉
And WordPress? Maybe this is a game too? Are you really or are you a figment of my smartphone? 🙂
Robert.
Yes it is a game…since life is a big game after all 😉
What is bigger than life? (yes – this is a real question that I am asking you, and I am interested in your answer)
For me that is awareness.
That’s nice. Awareness embraces … well, everything really. Except maybe the subconscious/unconscious. And maybe the future. Oh, and the inside of a black hole. And … sorry – these are just coming to me – I don’t know where my mind’s off-switch is.
Ah, hang on – I think I found i..
One needs to be aware of the existance of subconsious/unconsious, the future, black holes, a mind first to even be able to get lost 😛
We human are the only creature who know they know…it’s time we all take that more seriously and take responsibility…aware. 😉
I cannot fault your logic at all, Patty.
I should, however, in all fairness let you know that I am a figment of your imagination, and that you have not yet awakened this morning.
Have a beautiful day – when it begins. 😉
Well, wake me up then!
Since today I feel I’m in the middle of a nightmare again (attack Nice, France)
Yes – it would be good if we could wake up and erase that from our world. 🙁
As sad, horrific it is…unfortunately we human seem to need these attacks to remind us, what we don’t want.
So thank you for taking the time, again, to talk to a neighbor at this globe.
I wish you a lovely weekend Roger!
XxX
You’re welcome, Patty (but I assure you that the pleasure is all mine). 🙂
Kindness – Robert.
That saying “the pleasure is all mine’ reminds me of a silly game…
I love you
I love you more
I love you much more
I love you as far a I can see
I love you as big as the globe is
I love you …
😉
Please (blushing) – we only just met (turns head coyly and bats eyelashes). 😉
Ik weet precies waar je het over hebt Patty. We kunnen maar beter verlost zijn van de dingen die ons leven op zo’n grote schaal gaan beheersen. Die tijd kunnen we aan nuttigere dingen besteden ☺ Lieve groeten!
En vooral positievere dingen 😉
Knuffel! XxX
Dat klopt. En dat geeft ook weer positieve energie ? Xxx
What I love most about this post is that it demonstrates how we must always try to be our best selves, and that we should always seek to really enjoy life. Bravo, Patty!
Thank you dear Daal !
I love this, Patty. It was very thoughtful. Thanks for drawing my attention to it!
My pleasure! Thanks for reading 🙂 XxX
It’s wonderful how thoughtful and introspective you are…your post provides a great example of learning from our experiences…thinking about them/their impact on a deeper level and using our newly-understood perspective to bring increased light and compassion to the world…thank you for being you…and thanks for sharing 🙂
Ah dear Truly, you make me blush. Thanks sweetie, grateful for our connection. XxX