The Next Big Thing

"A mind is a terrible thing to waste." (Arthur Fletcher)

A friend of mine's father once told him that if he was to have a vice, to only have one.  More than that, and a man becomes overwhelmed and lost.

Sometimes passions can become vices.  There are those we can curtail, such as eating.  Sure we still enjoy them, but not to excess. 

Others start out as a simple enjoyment.  The more we enjoy, the more time we spend.  Minutes become hours, and hours become days (collectively speaking of course).  One day, we turn around and part of our life has passed nor where the time went.

Yesterday I said goodbye to one of those vices myself.

I've been an avid gamer for years.  Grown up on computers since my teens, been drawn to them ever since.  I remember the first time I played an MMPORG, I had no idea what they were or how Massive the "M" in that abbreviation was.  After starting to play, I realized that I wasn't going to beat this game any time soon.

So I created another character, and then another.  I studied, rebuilt my game, and studied some more. I become well versed in the game, and combined with my ability to teach/train, began showing others the ins and outs.  I made thousands of pieces of gold, only to give it away.

Now, it's five years later.  I've spent hours/days enjoying this past time.  I'm by no means the best at my class, but it was fun. I was constantly learning, and enjoying it. 

But then, a reality began to set in.  I wasn't reading as much as I used to.  Books were bought and placed on my shelf, without even a second glance.  As I stood in the library yesterday, I realized what I'd become - someone who collects books instead of reading them.

Whoa.

I've done my best to accept eBooks.  But I can't.  Maybe I'm too old, maybe it's the journey of the book in the hands of multiple owners, maybe it's the smells that such books have.  I will always love books because of where they take you.  They push and shove against the walls of your imagination, to new thrilling heights  They challenge you and motivate you as you turn each page, and comfort you in the midst of a crazy, crazy world.

In the land of Azeroth, though, I'd lost that.  Sure I'd grown, I'd learned a little; but when compared to what I had lost, there was no contest. And I've always known that I want something more.

For me personally, when I leave something like this, I don't do stages.  The temptation to go back would be too great.  So I quit cold turkey.  It surprised me a bit, I guess.  5 years of work gone in a matter of a few minutes.  But it had to be done.  Better yet-I wanted to do it!

As with any habit though, I've got to fill it with something good.  Like writing in this blog for instance :)  If I don't, that hole will sit there, begging to be filled.  I'll be tempted to go back to Stormwind, and that is a road I no longer wish to travel.