I am a games freak, and I am the only person in the world who does not seem to realize that fact. I have been playing ever since the days of the Atari and Pac man and World Quest. I have tried all formats possible: game console, pc, and handhelds like Game boy and Play station portable. You name it I have played it. At first, I just dismissed it as a healthy fascination for technology and entertainment. However, I soon found out that I cannot stop playing. I first got addicted in the strategic game Starcraft. (I think Starcraft II is being released this year. Yeah!) I played every day for weeks joining in a lot of local tournaments. After I got tired of the strategic game, I got hooked on Counterstrike. It is a mod game of the popular half life game. Like its parent game format, it is a first person shooter. The objective of the game is basically to kill the opposing team's members with all the high powered guns that you see today. Very realistic, I tell you and highly addicting. Now this is worse than my Starcraft stage. I play like there was no tomorrow. I played even though I have no more money in my allowance to buy food. I chose to go hungry than miss playing counterstrike. When I ran out of money, I borrow from my friends. This is usually a bad case for most of my friends are also addicted to the game, so most of them deplete their allowances. During that time, whenever our class dismissal is near approaching, I could feel that my hands are itching (literally). The urge to play is so strong that I would feel depress if I can't play for more than an hour each day.



News of people collapsing because of playing for days in front of their PC did not bother me. My parents even threatened me to admit me in a psychiatric center if I do not stop. (OK. I consider a month without playing games as like being admitted to a psychiatric center.) I would point out stupid reasons like games are good for me; it improves my hand eye coordination and my analytical skills. Yeah right.

But the wakeup call for me was when I finally found myself running out of games to play and playing the on line game Bratz games. I was fed up with all the realistic games when I chance upon Bratz games. I thought hey this could be interesting to while the time. But Bratz games became more than whiling my time. Bratz games became my time. I even strive to be good at playing these games. Now even my friends were alarmed. ?Are you serious man? We have not even heard of these Bratz games. Seriously dude, this is the ultimate loser mode.? I felt sore when they said that and when I realize I enjoy playing games played by 9 year olds, it dawned on me that something is seriously wrong with me.? So now, I banish all forms of electronic gaming and contend with doing crossword puzzles.