Thanksgiving(and holidays in general) usually have me reflecting on the past and how things in my life have changed. Not sure why, but it's always been that way.
I remember Black Friday 3 years ago. 2007 was a pretty good year for me. College, my own apartment, and a load of cash from poker. If anyone remembers the old "What did you get for Black Friday" thread on the X-Strike forums you'd remember the fact that I spent a little over $6,000 that day. I was pretty ballin' for a 20 year old. Huge TV, 360, Wii, tons of games, tons of movies, and a load of expendable cash to throw around whenever I wanted for whatever I wanted.
Everyone goes through rough patches, mine lasted about 3 years. A lot of money can lead to a pretty party-influenced lifestyle, one that I embraced. It was the start of a downfall. I stopped doing things I know I loved to do, such as gaming, conventions, spending time with friends arguing about which Pokemon type is better. Poker and cash led to me doing worse and worse in school; I just didn't care.
Over the last 2 years everything I owned has either been stolen, or I've sold, in order to stay afloat to pay for bills, gas, and other living necessities. I stopped gaming, something which had been a cornerstone of my life since I was 4. I had no job, no money, and bills piling up. Besides seeing a couple of you at Anime USA in 2010, I hadn't seen most of you since Magfest in 2008. I lost track of what I loved doing, and of who I was.
Fast forward to 2010, almost 2011. I've really cleaned myself up, got my life in order, and put things into place. I have a nice job, I make a decent living, and I am slowly rebuilding my video game library. Tomorrow, I go out to get another X-Box 360, and a new LCD TV. I have compiled a list of all the old games I either had stolen from me or had gotten rid of to make ends meet. I have a good group of friends who I completely trust, and I have finally been getting back into the swing of going to conventions, which really are my vacations. I hadn't touched a video game in almost 2 years, but when I got my life back in order, picked up a second hand PS2, some games, and popped Ratchet & Clank into the disc tray, I knew I was back at home.
I missed you, video games. I hope you're glad I'm back.
