How Freddy's Rescue Roundup Changed my Life

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My name’s Shannon, and I’m a video game addict. That might come as a surprise to my friends. But it’s true. Ever since I discovered Wagon Trail to Oregon in grade 1, I’ve been mesmerized by the blinking lights, the virtual reality, and the thrill of victory. We didn’t have a computer or video games in our home growing up, so I drove my friends crazy by playing theirs nonstop.

Enter Kindly Old Neighbour who gave us his old 1984 Compaq with… drum roll… Freddy’s Rescue Roundup! It was a match made in heaven. I devoted the better part of grade 6 to mastering all 25 levels.

It all came to a head one New Year’s Eve. I was at the climax of a year-long quest to pass level 24, and my family wanted to play Scrabble. Of all foolish games. Of course, I excused myself. For two hours I listened to laughter and voices float upstairs to where I was holed up with the Compaq.

Finally, by the end of the evening I was rewarded by the psychedelic purple and blue screen announcing that I, Shannon, had graduated from Freddy’s Rescue Roundup. But instead of pride, I felt let down. Suddenly, it didn’t feel like such an achievement to win the game. As I thought about it, I regretted all the time I spent with Freddy instead of with people. I realized that I was the kind of person who could let video games become the Great Fact in my life. So I made a decision: no more video games.

I’ve never regretted that decision, but I see the same compulsive tendencies with other technologies- like email. How often does the average person check their email? I probably check mine 12 times a day. Throw in Pinterest, Facebook, blogs, news, YouTube… and it adds up to a lot of screen time. When I go home to my mom and dad’s farm (who don’t have internet), I’m surprised by how much more “time” there is.

So. I’m looking for balance. I want to keep touch with what’s happening online, and I want to play shinny at the rink. I want to use social networking for my professional development, and I want to volunteer at my church. In the past, I’ve over-done some things and over-avoided others. Any ideas on how to strike a balance?

In the meantime, my fellow country music fans, enjoy PaulBrandt’s take on this subject:

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