Video Game Throwback

When I was younger (before I arrived at Uni and became a completely mature teenager, of course), there were probably only three things that I enjoyed doing: reading, watching television, and playing video games. At that precious, impressionable age of seven, it seemed like I was the odd one out when I had my video game kick -- the only girl that enjoyed playing video games and talking about them and (in the case of being in elementary school) acting out Pokemon battles and having a blast discussing worlds other than our own. That was perfectly fine with me, and I don't regret any of the hours I spent involved with them.

I would like to say that I've completely moved on from gaming of any sort now that I hardly have any time, but even today there is still one franchise that I can't imagine giving up... Pokemon.

I tried very hard not to make a post about it, and we can easily see that I've failed very early in the game, considering this is only my second blog post. However, I just couldn't not make a post about something that has inevitably been a part of my life for so long.

The basic premise of Pokemon is that you're a kid from a small town, you -- a trainer -- get your very own monster, and you explore a world using your monster to essentially beat up on other trainers in the hopes of becoming the champion. The champion is the best trainer in all the land! There's always also a very stupid group of antagonists that the story is centered around, and your time playing is spent advancing the story by trying to prevent those antagonists from ruining the planet.

If you've never played or cared about Pokemon before, you may be thinking, "Uh, okay, that doesn't sound all that fun." Or even, "That seems boring and stupid." In reflection, I would say that yes, as a sixteen-year-old that has found so many more fun things to do, it is sort of a boring thing. You often get stuck at points in the game because of the need to train ("level up") your monsters, if you're a novice you'll undoubtedly be spending 50+ hours just to make it through the storyline, and the tasks that you complete can end up being really mundane. But to a seven-year-old that prefers other worlds to her own? You bet she had a blast defeating hundreds of monsters, roaming new landscapes, and becoming the Pokemon Master!

When I say that Pokemon is still a part of my life, I don't mean that I'm still particularly interested in the games. It's really difficult to find enough time to listen to music, let alone devote hours to such a trivial time-waster. But it's impossible to ignore the person that I've become because of that intense interest back in the day. I still love hearing about new games that are coming out, fantasy books are my first preference, and I won't hesitate to pronounce my undying love for Ash Ketchum mention some of my favorite characters from the series and reminisce. The only reason I'm savvy for tech in general was figuring out how games even work (which required a tween to understand a lot more about her computer and numbers than was necessary for daily life)!

I think that we all have one thing that might be a little embarrassing to talk about, but has inevitably become some sort of part of us. Pokemon is mine.

The Organization of Organization

It's always a good idea to put organization at the forefront of your mind - or so everyone says. Teachers, parents, great-great grandparents will all preach to you what a novelty having organization is for a young pupil, and I agree... To a certain extent.

I was having a conversation with my grandmother the other day, who, might I mention, is always very enthusiastic to see how I'm doing at school. Without having talked to her for more than five minutes, she was already unzipping my backpack and criticizing the way that I had my things lined up. "Jazmin, why on Earth do you have your phone all the way in the back pocket of your backpack? What sense does that make? How can you reach it? You really need to put it in the front of your backpack. Now, you know I'd rather you have a purse, but if you want to do it this way..."

Now, I know my grandma, and I know where these types of conversations lead -- if I end up supplying my own point of view, I usually end up frustrated and nothing is gained. So, in keeping the peace and moving along with life, I responded, "Okay, yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

But that whole situation got me thinking about organization and how organization is proposed in schools. Up until high school, I had always been told just how something needed to be organized, whether it was related to school or home. "Homework should be in folders, which are color-coded per subject!" cries the first grade teacher from a metaphorical rooftop. "Papers cannot just be kept in your backpack!" insists the seventh-grade teacher, gesturing to a model student whose papers are not kept open in their backpack. And, the most stressed, particularly Subfreshman year at Uni High: "Write all of your assignments down!" Though this was all in the nature of trying to prepare the student, subbie Jazmin found it ridiculous that a teacher could possibly take off points for not having their assignments written down.

This isn't a rant against organization by any means. I just find that when someone else's ideals are forced upon someone, the results are counterproductive. Would I keep literally every subject in one binder, like I've known some of my classmates to do? No. Is that a good idea, for me? No. But does that mean that it can't be a good idea for them? No! (In fact, I'm amazed at the fact that one particular friend somehow manages to know where everything is without some subject-based organization. Go them!) There's a type of organization that works best for everyone, and maybe that is a lack of organization. The only thing that matters is the endgame -- being able to have the wherewithal to ace that exam or keep homework turned in or finish a group project. The plan, which is how that is accomplished, doesn't matter as long as it's the easiest method for a particular person.

Now, I choose to have my phone in the back pocket just because of my bad habit of haphazardly leaving the front pockets open, and the fact that I prefer not to bring my purse to school. But, in the words of some person I don't know, "you do you," and I'll do me.