Traitor

An interesting thing happened the other night that further supports my idea that I've got a serious problem.

My friend Teresa called me Friday afternoon to tell me that the hair products I ordered had come in. She then handed the phone to her husband who invited me to come play Xbox 360 at the Red Hills Cinema in Mesquite. They let customers use the theater for $5 a hour to play video games on the big screen (pretty neat idea if you ask me). I inquired about the time & who was going.

Britt: So is everyone gonna play?
RJ: Well actually no, all the girls are going to a movie.
Britt: Oh, ok (puzzled)
RJ: I just figured you'd rather play Halo then go see some chick flick.

I wasn't sure whether I should be offended or flattered. I mean after all I am a girl. Who's to say I don't enjoy the occasional chick flick? I fix my hair, wear make-up, & love romance so this should be an easy choice, right? Well the ironic thing is it wasn't. I mean I was really torn. A sweet, poignant love story with the girls (the movie had the word love in the title) or a shoot 'em up, blow 'em up, get-as-many-kills-as-you-can-before-the-time-runs-out video game with the guys?
I used to think that maybe I played video games because I liked guys & where a video game was, there a guy would be also. When I got married I thought I played because my husband enjoyed them & because I loved & wanted to make him happy. Though as of late I'm beginning to question my motives. My husband & I now own just about every gaming system possible. (Nintendo 64, Xbox, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii . . . .) I play all of them while Gary's at school & work. I keep telling myself it's to provide Gary with more of a challenge when we play together. We're subscribed to Game Informer magazine which I look at more than I care to admit. And now I feel too informed. One evening playing card games with friends, the subject of gaming came up.

Blake: I'm not really good at that game
RJ: Yeah it's alright. Oh you know what game looks way awesome!?
Britt: Assasion's Creed!?
RJ: Yeah that's exactly the game I was thinking! (stunned look)
Britt: Oh I know! I can't wait for it to get released!

Now that's just scary, right? Being a woman I shouldn't have known that game title. I shouldn't have been involved in the conversation in the first place. Of course all the wives at the table shot me disapproving glances. This was part of the boring, irresponsible, fry-your-brain behavior they've been trying to discourage in their husbands & there I was giving the males hope that they might yet be able to convince their wives gaming is a worthwhile activity. I was crossing the line & becoming a traitor to the female gender. I've had to come to grips with the fact that I might actually love video games. That I might play them because I want to & not to please somebody else. So when RJ invited me to play Halo it was a difficult decision because the real conflict was, did I really want to alienate myself further from the women of the group? I wrestled with it, but in the end . . . . .

RJ figured right. I chose Halo.

Yeah, I know, I'm a traitor.