My New Passion

Over the past couple of years I like many have dealt with tough times, the unknown, and a new world.  Covid, unknown business future, and a divorce sent me spinning into dark times and wondering what would be next.  Slowly things got better: first the business, then a new relationship, and now have found myself again.  The old me.  The old me is a true kid at heart.  Video games, cartoons, comic books.  Creativity. Escape.  The thought of things extraordinary places a smile on my face like few things can...I grew up going to arcades, getting up early to watch a run of Saturday Morning cartoons, and begging my Mom to go to the local comic shop.  I was lucky to have the best Mother, someone who loved me for me and would bend over backwards to support my hobbies...Over Covid I decided to turn an over 100-year-old carriage house into an arcade.  My knowledge was of video games and went a little nuts.  I now have over 40 games in the carriage house and simply ran out of space.  Many times, my friends and family asked if I had pinball machines.  I would say no, as I had no interest and knowledge.  Pinball in the early 90s was not on my radar.  I would rather pump quarters in TMNT or Street Fighter.  I had tried pinball a few times at the local arcade, only to drain instantly and have the feeling of being ripped-off.  Bitter taste and one that stuck with me.  Fast-forward to today and my budding addiction to games. I felt like I should get a pinball machine simply to have one.  The glory of Mel Gibson's mullet on a Lethal Weapon 3 Machine backbox entered into my home.  Now being single, I never used my dining room.  Perfect for a machine.  The machine gave me nothing but problems in all of its Data East glory, but something clicked.  I love this style of game.  It reminds me of golf in a way.  You can have the worst round and hit one good shot and feel like you're on top of the world.  The same goes for that one good game of pinball and you don't have to play four hours and smell like a mix of pine and sweat to play.  Now games go better more often, skills improve, and my passion grows and grows.  Not everyone will understand why we spend our extra time and money playing these games.  It doesn't matter.  WE understand.  All it took was a Mel Gibson mullet.