So my conclusion is that I was born either way too late or way too early. As I was growing up, I have always failed miserably at action video games. I remember as a kid, I really like computer games. I have plenty of memories of games such as Lode Runner, Jungle Hunt, Aztec, Star Wars, and Burgertime on our Apple ][e. But as much as I liked them, I sucked. I was horrible and could never get anywhere. My brother would taunt me, “C'mon, you play piano--aren't you supposed to be coordinated or something?” And that would infuriate me. Alas, the fury prompted much more frustration than tenacity and I readily gave up. I eventually stopped playing computer games and opted to watch my brother play instead. When he did well, I was happy. He was my hero, for it was only by proxy that I could ever win any game. With the advent of console games, my ineptitude grew more apparent. Having such little luck at the primitive games on our Apple, fancy Nintendo games were far beyond my capacity. Of course, we never owned a console so I could never practise and I was seemingly forever relegated to vicarious achievement. Had I been born earlier in a generation that never cared about video games, I would not have been shamed by my paradoxical fate of overall nerdiness and being totally useless when it actually could count for something.

However I'd also be happy if I were growing up now: it appears there actually is a game out there that I can handle--and I have unequivocally fallen in love with it. Guitar Hero III for wii has become a new obsession of mine. I'm by no means stellar at it (and this I know for sure, having seen some pretty crazy videos on YouTube), but at least I would consider myself on the better side of average for once. I can do a decent job on hard, but the solos of expert still elude me.

It's only my third time playing it but it was worked its way into my life. When I close my eyes, coloured circles on lines stream towards me; green, red, yellow, blue, orange bubbles dance across my mind's tv set and ignite into little flames as they float past; all the music I hear around me--whether real or imagined--composes the backdrop for this intricate choreography. My friend, whom I visit to play this magnificent game, thinks I'm addicted and have a problem. When I get a song on expert down, she'll know what I look like when I'm really addicted.