Virtually Alive

Toby Keith starts singing about slamming a few Budweisers down by the creek on the back of the Ford F-350 after his gal broke up with him last night because he was caught shooting her three-legged dog and day 12,401 of the Drizz Show begins. At first the room weaves a bit as the program still hasn’t loaded to full capacity thanks to Vista and its memory sucking goodness. Unfortunately the mirror in the bathroom has no beauty button and I’m still stuck with this fugly face and ex-athlete body but can upgrade from whiskey soaked stubble to baby bottom smooth after a quick shower.

After reaching my +20/20 glasses of correction the room straighten out a bit as the choice of wardrobe is presented in front of me while the spousal unit literally rolls out of bed in search of hot water. After choosing pants, belt, shirt, boxer briefs, and a sock combination that will elicit the least amount of ire from the half-awake wife and co-workers we’re off to serve up quickie breakfast since the children are most gracious for 5am wake-up calls that are better left for Navy SEALs.

The ride along the pitch black highway is coated with thousand points of lights which seem dour as the same display is shown every morning while the digits freeze against the icicle of a steering wheel. But, today I looked above the lights; saw a canvas instead of a sea of red hurrying off to their economy battered companies, holding out for new presidential and self assurances that the ship will right itself in time.

For a moment I took off those virtual reality glasses we all wear to view and interact with the world in 1080p with the latest plasma and HD technology. There were no cables, no spoon, no wires restricting movement, just factors that push towards that morning destination. Money for the house, for food, kid’s education, your wife’s attempt to win back her body self-esteem, to retain the same game and comforts keep you snuggled up in your favorite life blanket all didn’t matter from the blank black sky.

Sure this virtual reality comes with peripheral vision to check the base runners and extra sensory devices that even the best lesbian double dildo orgy on YouPorn couldn’t fire up enough tingle to match. Its still nothing but a series of actions/reactions to the environment around a person wearing their own virtual reality glasses that you and you alone can see through. Nobody else can force those body movements of yours that resulted in hitting the f’in doorknob with your elbow again, or feeling the tight, spider monkey clutch of a loving toddler after reading the Scooby-Doo step one easy reading book before bed.

Less and less each day I find myself bitching about the “have to” and working for the weekend, and more looking forward to slipping on my personal virtual glasses and taking spin in the un-winnable game while enjoying the little things like a perfectly crafted oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and minty ice cream. Despite no end game and no uber monster to slay that will drop +5 Shield of King Midas, there’s a reason to play and if you stop for just a moment during a regular meeting, commute to work, or as this is a poker-ish blog, look over the top of the felt and just listen and feel the activity going on around the table without burdening yourself with “obligations”. Honestly, there are none in this game, your choice to get married, have kids, not live on the corner of Hennepin and 5th in a cardboard box were all set by playing the game and reacting to the environment presented in front of you.

Tomorrow on day 12,402 and for the future when the program loads again, my only hope is that the comforts I’ve built through work, friends, and most of all family will still be there to provide the little nudge not to give up on the game and keep the ball from draining down the side alley.