A Week Of Gaming Abstinence: Part 1

“It wasn’t all bad.”

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” is an old proverb which warns men to fear woman and never, ever upset them! (at least that’s how I interpret it), or in my case mother nature, which I had the unfortunate experience to embrace, particularly her uncompromising temper which flared and hollered sovivaciously. I am of course alluding to my long anticipated week away to the Wight Isle, more colloquially known as the Isle of wight (obviously). Suffice to say that despite the familiar problems and tedious formalities that accompany a week away; packing, oral hygiene, gaining the required nutritional sustenance and nourishment, which mainly consisted of canned peaches, ravioli and large consumptions of alcohol (which is neither big nor clever kids). But the other more troubling conundrum was foregoing certain video game requirements for a week.

I like to game, safe in the knowledge that after a stressful day at work, my PS3 is there to comfort me and alleviate the days odious burdens. But as the days past and the moment of departure neared, I began to discern an increased sense of anxiety at the mere consideration of leaving my PS3. It’s like a child losing their respective security blanket, and when you lose access to such amenities that have become so pronounced in your life, no matter how trivial the usage is, its difficult to comprehend what a constituent participant it was in your life. But I wont bore you further by elaborating on my lingering abandonment issues, that I’m currently working out with my PS3, and an advised practitioner of mental disorders, and focus instead on my week away.

The Isle of Wight is small, but undeniably breathtaking at times. With views that could inspire even the most repressed personalities, into blossoming artistic visionaries. Theres ample activities there to entertain even the most blase of minds, great hospitality and most importantly, an affluent amount of viable drinking establishments. Many equipped with pool tables, music and inexpensive beverages. But if your British or even vaguely familiar with the locality of these lands and the smaller islands that surround it, then your be familiar with a common problem attributed to these delicate isles; bad weather.

Let me reiterate that this was also a camping holiday, which felt more akin to a concentration camp as your herded into a field like confused cattle, totally oblivious to the ominous danger approaching, which eventually came in the form of apocalyptic weather, but also accompanied by elderly neighbours either totally indifferent or just ignorant to the level of noise emanating from their radio, and one guy who continually attempted to serenade us with the ambiguous melodies of various generic musicians. Its difficult in such tumultuous circumstances while trouncing through treacherous conditions, not feel aggrieved at the voluntary decision to leave the embracing bosom and warm comforting glow, of a PS3 and high-definition television.

The mud that canopied around us was another detrimental issue. Even attempting to reach the toilets felt like negotiating a course on Takeshi’s Castle, and going out presented further complications. Particularly traveling through mild tsunamis with highly motivated friends, determined to make the best of it. Even entering a gaming store fails to alleviate the crippling sense of reeling despondency I feel from being departed from my PlayStation, as a skulk around the store cursing the cruel temptations of various consoles, new and old, which have little consideration for my affliction.

So with all the rain, camping, mud, and agonising neighbours intently listening to humdrum political discourse spewing from radio 4, the pertinent question is why bother? The simple answer, is friends. From the moment we got on the ferry at 6 in the morning, and my mate proceeded to head to the front of the vessel, stand on the railings, arms stretched and exclaiming “I’m king of the world!”, you knew you were in capable hands. The people around me made the otherwise intolerable situations endurable, rendering the depressing weather somehow irrelevant, and without these upbeat, charismatic companions, my time on the stunning Wight Isles would have been significantly less tolerable. So to you my honoured friends, I tip my figurative hat to you all. It’s been a pleasure.

How do you cope being away from your consoles? Or is it simply not an issue? Let me know what you guys think.