Monday, January 30, 2012

Gamer dads - (Matthew W.)

If this blog has any sort of mission or deeper meaning (or point at all, really) I would say it is to encourage wives to support their gamer husbands.  It is easy to sit around drinking chick cocktails cackling in a chorus about how he can't do this or that.  How cliche!  It is challenging to embrace our husbands for all that they are especially since it is usually nothing like us.  But, I believe we must. 

If the broader focus of my blog is about supporting the gamer in your life, well then my subtitle is "people, this means even after you have kids."  It requires refined acrobatic skills to juggle a decent commitment to a hobby while being a parent (and a spouse.)  I only recently discovered that I actually have time for a hobby. 

My husband, on the other hand, has fluidly maintained several hobbies, and not at all to the detriment of his job or our family (I would rather he take any anger/anxiety/angst he might have out on zombies and the like anyway.)  I respect him deeply for this.

If you consider my husband a gamer dad, you must also label him a drummer, an audiophile, a burgeoning woodworker, and a condiment-happy cook.  He is well rounded and this is one reason why I love him.  On a certain level, I share his interest in music,"crafts" and the kitchen.  It's a level on which we can relate.  When it comes to video games, however, I have had to step a bit (and sometimes way) outside of myself and my own interests and abilities to appreciate his. 

But simply stated, watching him play has led me to this blog and, subsequently, this writing challenge.  Both of which have brought me closer to him and (maybe more importantly this time) me closer to me.

3 comments:

  1. Well said Keet. I believe there is a lot to be said for any person in a relationship to support the other's hobbies and interests even if he/she doesn't share that interest.

    It's called caring. Clearly Mr. Resident Gamer loves games, and that will most likely never change. So instead of having negative opinions about his interest, showing him love is the best thing you can do.

    As you said, it's been a bonding moment for both of you, and I think that's wonderful!

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  2. How do you help said spouse get there when games are viewed as competition for family time?

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  3. Mark - Thanks. Some times it is called caring other times it's called picking my battles :) But, yes in general I try to support the hubs, as you know.

    Chris - Hmm, good question. I know from my interview with other "voyeurs" that your situation is not unique. Perhaps we can look at this in more depth in a future post.

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