Dear Mother...

by Paws 

Dear Mother:

I can remember way back when I was young, you bought my brother a little machine called a NES, complete with Super Mario Bros. He wasn't very impressed, but I was entranced. This was something that challenged my body and my mind, I declared, and proceeded to sit down and play it for 3 hours straight. You shook your head and forced me to leave it alone for a week. Later on, you bought my brother another little machine, this time called a SNES, along with Pilot Wings. Aha!, I said, a new challenge. I scoured the video store for new games, new challenges. My eyes, one day, set upon a box entitled 'Final Fantasy II', and from then on, rarely have my eyes ever strayed from RPGs.

Poor brother, he got in the middle of things. I fiercely wanted to play, and he didn't mind sharing, but you would shake your head and declare 'video games were not for girls'. I scoffed you, though of course not to your face, and snuck behind your back to play them.

I finally got a summer job, and despite your loud protestations, bought my own SNES. I discovered wealth upon wealth - Chrono Trigger, Robotrek, Final Fantasy III, and many other games. Suddenly, I'd lock myself in my room on long weekend and not sleep, trying to discover just how to defeat Kefka's Tower, or rescue Strago. Games became my escape from my painful life, where I was subject to lonliness and ridicule; you ask why? Because my friends were censored by you, mother. Nobody was good enough, but they thought it was I who wasn't good enough in the end for them.

A new age dawned: through tutoring a fellow classmate, I acquired a copy of Final Fantasy VII, and a Playstation. I couldn't believe my luck! Alas, mother, you tripped me again, and I wasn't able to buy myself one measely memory card. Do you remember how many times the power went out that year? I do. Each time I would doggedly begin my trek anew, hoping upon hope the power would remain on. It held, and for the first time I witness a terrible death. With tears in my eyes I left the Playstation running, and didn't touch it for 3 days. I returned, more determined than ever, and managed to get all the way to the third disc. Ruby Weapon stole my chance to see the ending, but you, mother, held the saving grace away from me.

I eventually moved away from you, mother, and without the shackles you locked around my wrists I was free to explore as I chose. I begin voraciously exploring the web for people like me, people who loved RPGs and who would go days on end without sleep for them, who would count their pennies to buy one. I found them, with a little help, here, at RPGamer, and I was thrilled. Shy at first to participate, feeling new to the genre, I held back. But once I did step forward, there was no turning back.

Q&A was my first foray, and notably the biggest in my mind. Through my exposure there I landed a job on the site in news. But uppers had bigger and arguably better things planned for me. I plotted, planned, and sweated through the creation of a new section, and with help I can't begin to express my profound thanks for, launched it for the public to devour. Within the staff there was a reorganization and I ended up leading the pack, if only in title, writing reviews. Slowly but surely my little section grew, and before I knew it, it expanded to more than just me. But I was glad for the help of my friends, and wildly proud of the success.

Nowadays I communicate with some game companies like they're average Joes. Surprisingly, most are. I've got my foot in the door, and maybe I can use it to lever the kind of job I've only dreamed of. I love my work now and I get respect for what I do. I get to indulge in something I really love doing, and reap rewards for it.

So, Mother, there's just one thing I had to say.

"You were wrong."