One of the things I quickly noticed about Mike when we first met was the noticable absence of video games in his life. Having been in more than one relationship in the past where the guy was borderline obsessed with Grand Theft Auto and Midnight Creatures 2, I found this absence refreshing and promising that there were in fact men out there who weren't tethered to their Playstations. Sure, Mike played one of those games online where there weren't even images, but just words that the various players would describe what their trolls were doing to the evil elves.
Yeah, I married a dork. But my dork was one that seemed to be removed from the pause buttons of my past. Seemed being the keyword in that sentence.
I cannot blame Mike for wanting a Playstation or an Xbox 360. All men are little boys deep down and boys love toys. I should be thankful that Mike enjoys video games over 4 wheels and motorcycles and hunting. But there was something inside of me that wanted to scream out "NO!" when he first started talking about getting his own Playstation 2.
It's a scar from a previous relationship, one that still sits close to the surface and is easily snagged on by silly little things like this. My ex and his father and brother would spend countless Sundays or weekday afternoons playing John Madden Football, drinking all the Pepsi in the house and smoking illegal substances. Naturally, they'd want to play on the good tv, with the clear screen and the sharpest images, so I was banished to either the bedroom or the kitchen and if I was going to be in the kitchen, would I mind much in making some munchies for them? Bring them a couple more sodas? And what drove me a bit batty was the fact that they didn't really play the game, as in manuveuring the team players throughout the game but would just build teams for the season and watch the stats as the season played out. If and only if their team made the Superbowl, then they would play the game and I would get to hear the vocal recordings of John Madden himself, who is a bumbling idiot.
For awhile, Mike was annoyed, but understanding of my 'not letting him' have a Playstation. But that period was short and he soon was bringing it up way too often for my liking. I finally sat down and explained to him what a Playstation 2 symbolized to me and why I was hoping that deep down, he really didn't want to have one.
It isn't fair to punish him for things someone from the past 'did' per se and I am not saying that having a Playstation in my old relationship was what destroyed it. Still, I hated it. I hated feeling like I was second to a black box and a couple of controllers. I especially hated that I had saved my money to buy him a brand new Playstation 2 for his birthday but just weeks prior to that, his brother turned up with one that he was looking to sell and my then-boyfriend couldn't wait. His brother could use the cash and why not just buy this one? Why not? It turned out to be hot and broken to boot, so within three or four months of owning it, Z was ready to drop kick it out the window. So eight months after I had bought the first one, we ended up buying a second one - a brand new one. Yeah, I'm still a little bitter about that one.
Mike finally talked me into letting him get a Playstation 2 around Christmas and when we received a cash check from his grandfather for the holidays, I decided it would be better for him to spend it on something tangible than groceries or gas, as he originally thought I would make him spend it on. And for months, that seemed to be enough. But Playstation 2's are old (since I've been battling them since 2002) and there are such better games and technology in Xbox 360s or Playstation 3s.
Of course, an Xbox 360 was the one and ONLY thing he wanted for his birthday. Forget about a party or any other gadget. After seeing how my friends Kate and Aja pooled their money together to help me get a professional pair of sheers, he got the idea for me and my parents to pool the money we'd be spending on his birthday gift together so he might be that much closer to an Xbox. I couldn't argue with his logic and as much as I hated the idea of having another gaming system in my home, what else could I do?
The Xbox arrived today, sadly after his birthday, but he was thrilled and was grinning ear to ear when I got home.
I'd just better have earned some extra credit bonus "Awesome Wife" points today over this. I just plan on keeping the "My turn" card in my pocket for my next Coach handbag. I'm allowed one a year . . . and 2008 is already nearly half over.
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