16 Years
By 144 Hertz
This will be the first of many journal entries I make during the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of them is to give friends something to read that may be at times funny, concerning, or intellectually stimulating. They will be without true direction and likely just what’s on my mind.
Eyes open. I roll around bed and turn on my phone to see it’s 2:04 P.M. Good, finally starting to get my sleep schedule back in check. You see, over the past couple weeks I’ve had no reason to leave the house besides seeing my parents and getting groceries. Spring break was extended and my research can be done from home, so naturally I started gaming until sunrise every day. I would have to be up until at least 6:00 A.M. to get the freshest data from Italy for model updates, but things are so grim over there that the updates don’t come on time as reliably anymore.
I grab the remote and turn off the TV as it greets me with the familiar “Still there? Are you really watching episode 5 of the Witcher for the 52nd time or were you just getting your eyes on that one scene with the naked chick again?” Oh, I’m sorry Netflix. Sorry that social distancing most certainly means I won’t be having anything close to sex any time soon.
Floss, brush teeth, wash face, and get hydrated. Caffeine and cottage cheese follow shortly after. My roommate has decided to move out for the foreseeable future out of respect for me and my visits to my parents (immunosuppressed). I am extremely grateful for this, and a bonus is that I can now scream at idiots who can’t aim in Counterstrike without waking her.
Now I sit here at my desk where I shall remain until about 4 in the morning. I’ll mix in meals, a workout, and maybe a walk or two…but this really is where my life takes place. This leads us to the title of this entry.
For 16 years I have been what is known as a gamer. I play PC video games for an average of 8 hours a day, maxing out at 14 on some Saturdays. I have a strong and supportive friend group of around 12 to play with every day. We’ve been friends for a long time and moved to different parts of the country, so getting into discord (extremely easy to use voice chat) and delving through virtual worlds with them is a wonderful way to stay close.
Who gives a shit? Is this guy just talking about playing games all day?
Kinda. I told you this wouldn’t have true direction.
For the most part this whole social distancing thing is an act I’ve been practicing since I first fell in love with Michelle Rodriguez in the movie SWAT. The past weeks have amounted to a very small change in my normal way of life. Because of this, I am mentally stable and honestly having a blast in many different virtual worlds.
But I realize that many of you reading this may not be so content to stay at home all day.
If this distancing continues for a while (or upgrades to quarantine which it SHOULD DAMNIT) I worry that many of you will lose your marbles. Wine, puzzles, and shitty TV can only occupy you for so long.
Is this going where I think it is? Is this really turning into an advertisement for video games? Eh fook it.
Whoever you are reading this, do not be afraid to contact me if you start to feel your sanity draining. I almost view it as my duty to make sure the minds of others are occupied sufficiently during this crisis. I’ll be here at my computer, ready to recommend new things to try or even drag you to the abyss that is gaming. It doesn’t have to be anything hardcore. Mobile/browser games don’t require anything more than a phone and can be extremely fun. If you have a console or decent computer, we can talk through your interests and I will recommend games. Hell maybe we could even play something together.
That’s all for today. I’ve gotta dunk some kids in Warzone and we have a raid in WoW tonight. 4 hours of progression on Shad’har the Insatiable should be enough to bring him down and score some juicy loot. Wish me luck!
