On Things I Really Shouldn't Get Into

There are some activities I participate in that I really don't enjoy, but that I have to do anyway. Sleeping, for one, is something that I wouldn't do if I didn't have to (I mean, I could get so much more done, which would render part of this blog post - the impetus, anyway - kind of moot.) I also probably would only eat on rare occasion (because, I mean, taste is delicious but, once again, I have things to do, and it would be cheaper.) Come to think of it, of all the things that come to mind, I'd probably leave it there as far as 'not doing things' goes, but then, I'm not in the most imaginative of moods today.

I mean, I think I'd still go to work. I like having money, and I feel that one should have to work for one's money. Or at least, one shouldn't just get it handed to oneself (note that studying and receiving benefits is not just magically getting money, because I consider that a kind of work, and if you're on a disability pension then you obviously have extenuating circumstances), which is why I would consider winning some kind of 20 million dollar lottery pool, and then living off what I made from placing that amount into a high interest savings account, a fair way to support myself (but then, I'm most certain that everyone at some stage in their life, will attempt to do this - and no, I don't actually play the lottery, because I am aware of the odds of winning - and yes, I know "You have to be in it to win it", but you have to be in a game of Russian Roulette to "win" [i.e. Not Die] as well, but the odds of losing, combined with what is at stake, are not particularly flattering.)

Oops - I Got A Little Distracted There...

Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk about today. No. I wanted to discuss the fact that somebody (not mentioning any names...well...okay I am, Spud) decided that it would be a good idea to start a Multiplayer MineCraft server. I had, up until two days ago, never played MineCraft - I had never actually witnessed it being played. This was not by accident. MineCraft, I had heard, was tremendously addictive (regular readers of XKCD will have seen the comic below) and the allure of a seemingly infinite expanse of brick-world that I could use to create fortresses, forests, and indeed my own entire world was something that it was obvious I should avoid, lest I succumb to obsessively hollowing out structures, filling them with water, tunnelling to oblivion, and so forth.

But Elmo, Squiggles, Encey, and Spud were all playing on Spud's server. And the pressure they were exerting on me to at least give it a try was phenomenal - all the time it was "You should get MineCraft, Tiger" and "Tiger, the MineCraft server is up, come play with us" - of course, I failed to anticipate that they were secretly whispering "for ever and ever and ever..." and the end of that last one. I should have seen the signs. I should have listened to the way they spoke about it.

Elmo: "Dude, Why Aren't You Playing MineCraft - I'm Trying To Make My DS Play It And You Don't Even OWN It..."

Squiggles: "All The Dapper Gents Play MineCraft, Fool..."

Spud: "Play MineCraft Now And You'll Receive THIS EXTRA LIFE!! ACT FAST!!!"

Encey: "Even The People Of MARS Play MineCraft, You Pitiful Fool!!"

But no - I ignored the signs, and I bought it. I started playing, and Spud showed me the basics of what I was doing, and invited me to dig myself a room in the communal base. Our "Fortress of Companionship", if you will. So I started tunnelling away, creating some spiral stairs, and an expanse at the bottom of them. I dug, I created pickaxes, and I dug some more. Eventually, I looked at the clock and realised that it was after 10pm, and I'd lost my entire evening to digging out a room, and I wasn't even done yet. I had other things to do, so I very reluctantly tore myself away from the computer, and headed out to make sure I was fed for the coming day, I showered, and I headed to bed.

Dammit - I wasn't finished my room. So yesterday, when I got home from work, I continued on in my quest to slowly chip away at the cavern I was creating. I hollowed it out, and began my next task - creating the glass to line the walls with. This is something I am still not finished doing. This game will consume my soul - I can feel it calling me now. I'm sure that, if Kermit the Frog was making his music today, Rainbow Connection would instead be about MineCraft ("Have you been half-asleep, and have you heard voices - I hear them calling my name. Is this the sweet sound that calls the young gamers, the voice might be one and the same.")

Oh well, what can one do, I suppose, other than just ride it out and wait until we've mined the world so much that it's no longer sustainable and it implodes upon itself. At least, that's what I figure will happen - we aren't entirely working towards a sustainable environment here, given that I've used the majority of one of our beaches in order to create glass for use with my room. We are, however, constantly replanting trees, so that's a step in the right direction. Maybe I should...Oh...There's an idea...But it will have to wait for another time, as I wish to keep it secret (for now) from the other guys on the server...Oh but they will be surprised when they see what I've done (pleasantly, I hope.)

Before I sign off, I actually wanted to ask a favour of you. I want to do a blog post about confessions. Well, okay, two posts about confessions. One is secret confessions (like PostSecret) where you guys send me anonymous postcards with your deepest secrets written on them - things you just want to get off your chest - and I'll scan them, or whatever, and put them up here. The other one is public confessions - things that you have been hiding for too long, and you just want to world to know, and you figure that "Hell - I've never said this before, why not say it now?" or even just "Hell - I don't say this enough", which I figure would be emailed to me (so I could put a name to them, although I could make these anonymous if you requested it in the email.)

Anyway, if you'd like to help me out with this my postal address is:

Tiger Bailey
127 Russell St.
Bathurst,
N.S.W.    2795
Australia

And my email is dirtytiger@live.com.au

The moral of this story is that trying to deny my OCD habits is just, well, silly. There's nothing I can do to stop them, for now at least, so why am I bothering to try by denying myself something fun. If I were to try and stop myself being so obsessive about things, then it will take time and practice, and telling myself that I can't join in activities with my friends just because I'm going to go all weird about it is just plain stupid. So, yes, my name is Tiger Bailey, and I'm currently addicted to MineCraft. Damn it all, Spud - damn it all indeed.