On Monday, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Vanderbilt Sertoma Club. About 50 or so people in attendance and it was a lot of fun. Before, I went on, someone asked me if I get nervous talking to groups.
“Not at all.”
“Oh I would be. Do you get nervous going on TV?
“Nope, because all I see when I go on, is a camera. I already have my stuff written and all I have to do is just read everything correctly and I am solid.”
“So what makes you nervous?”
“If I told, you wouldn’t believe me.”
And, it is true. I have only been nervous one time in my entire life.
This is what made me a nervous wreck growing up.
The video game Missile Command is why I don’t have any hair.
It still tortures me at 47 years old.
They start coming down on you and one of your stations is out of missiles and you are looking around and shooting and shooting but they are still coming and coming at a frenetic pace and they won’t stop.
Nervous. Wreck.
Oh, there were other games that tortured me but none did it better than Missile Command.
Tempest.
Frogger.
Space Invaders.
Asteroids.
And this damn game, Centipede.
Stealing money out of my mom’s purse was hectic enough but using that money to go spend it on a game that drove me incredibly insane, was even more, well, insane.
Pac-Man, not so much, because once you got the pattern, it was so easy. But these other games still make my palms sweaty 30 plus years later.
I swear, because of said games, I should have been drinking and smoking at the age of 14. I guess the only reason I didn’t is that my mom would have beaten me to death. Plus, I would have to steal more money for that when I would just rather use all of it to play these games.
The owner of Sir Pizza in Hermitage when I was growing up had to make a fortune off of us. Kids crammed in there every day after school, playing all of these games, non-stop.
This picture is what wakes me up at night.
All of them, in a row, coming to get me. Led by Missile Command.
And I am out of missile’s in one of the bunkers.
And they won’t stop coming down.
And, I am nervous and 14 again.
Where is my mom’s purse?
(Care to add anymore games that drove you crazy, please do!)
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@BIGJOEONTHEGO
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