It has come at last: the final part of my journey to manhood. I had several options for going out with a bang, ideas which my friends gladly offered. The interesting thing was when I became aware that I’ve been acting more like a guy than I first realized.
As the staff in The East Texan office was going through a little brain-storming session, I could honestly say I’ve done a lot of what seems to be stereotypical guy activities, for example, the whole get-ready-in-five minutes and fly out the door to get to class thing. Trust me, not pretty. I used to think that I was getting away with not showering for a couple days, until my bragging was cut short by a friend that clued me in that it was pretty obvious. I guess I’m transparent, or maybe I can’t pull of the crusty look (a joke).
I’ve worn boxers, changed a tire, and screamed at the television while watching hours upon hours of football. I have spent time coming up with cheesy pick-up lines I’ve never used, and I laugh at dead-baby jokes (sorry). Basically, I don’t mind being “one of the guys” for the most part, and I’m glad to find that some guys even like singing Taylor Swift songs like I do.
There is one manly task I haven’t completed, and that is to hone my gaming skills and play video games for as long as I could take it. Believe me, I have played computer games until the sun was ready to come up, but those were fun, constructive games like Rollercoaster Tycoon and The Sims. It was time to be destructive and start getting that adrenaline going.
I started out with a college football game that all my guy friends from high school are constantly playing. I liked that I could recognize some of the fight songs and mascots, however, my remote control was constantly vibrating and the guys were yelling out so much advice I could tell they just wanted to take it away from me.
Soccer was fun once I learned to slide tackle, even if I did get penalized and got a player kicked off the field. I only lost by about 20 goals. Nice.
Then, I played Halo. And by play Halo, I mean that I spun around in circles and killed myself. I ended up with a negative score, huzzah! Shooting games are tough when you have to aim with two different joysticks. Grand Theft Auto lets you auto-aim, and is a game I would recommend to any stressed individual. You can just drive around in cars and smash into anything, something generally not recommended in the real world. My grandma watched me play once, and she was surprised when I ran through a red light. She’s sweet.
As the night progressed, I played Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and various games on the Wii. My arms were actually getting sore from the crazy thrashing I like to call boxing. I can’t wait to play that new game where you sit on the control and play with your butt, and for a little exercise try the Wii Fit.
It was a great experience getting a taste of the gaming world, and the next day when I saw an “energy potion” at Fry’s I was this close to buying it for my next game-athon. There a lot of different kinds of guys, and I’ve chosen to get a small taste of their various worlds. This experiment has opened my eyes more to the motivation behind why guys do what girls usually don’t understand.
I would recommend every girl spend a little time out of her high heels and in a guy’s shoes, whether that is sneakers, slippers, or stinky bare feet. It’s worth that insight you gain.