My kids are pretty blessed. I’ve always provided them with computers and other technology. Mainly, their machines are hand-me-downs. Over time, they had their eclectic collection of computers and used them, yes, to play games.
My kids have always had computers. I remember buying them a tangerine iMac back in the late 1990s. Over time, they soon each had their own hand-me down PC. They’re arranged in a row in my office, each sitting next to the other, just within earshot.
Yes, being a good parent means keeping an eye on your younguns as they use a computer.
I kept reminding my boys how lucky they were. Most families had a single computer, shared by everyone. Being the scions of a high-tech guru father, they got to inherit old systems. Lucky, lucky, lucky.
Eventually the systems got pretty sophisticated. You know you’re in trouble when your 15-year-old asks you for some fancy graphics card for his birthday — and it costs $900.
“No, the other model will do fine, thank you.”
I even joined the boys to play online occasionally. We’d play Left4Dead, which was a lot of fun. We even downloaded a public domain Light Cycle game when TRON came out a few years back. Some of our marathon Call of Duty Zombie games would last hours.
Now I have only two boys left living with me, Simon and Jeremiah. Their brother Jonah went to Seattle for school, and he now lives there. That doesn’t mean that the gaming has stopped.
Usually it’s Simon who coordinates things. He calls up Jonah and asks if he can play. Then Jeremiah joins in. It’s rare that the three of them have a night off, but when they do, they connect and play.
They have a host of games to choose from. Borderlands appears to be popular, although I’m unfamiliar with it. They use Skype or Google Hangouts to communicate. It’s almost like all of them are here, but it’s difficult for me to hear all of the sniping and name calling.
Their gaming nights make the distance between them closer. It’s less of an issue. Thirty years ago, talking with each other would have involved an ordeal called long distance phone calls. Yet at this time, they can still all play together and enjoy each other’s company, despite whatever distance between them.
I think that’s really cool.
