Monday, July 12, 2010

Game of Life

We bought the retro version of the game Life a few weeks back. I loved this game as a child. It was so much fun to go to college, get a job, get married, make money, and have kids. Now DH and I have been playing it about once a week when he needs a break from studying. I am embarrassed to admit I am obsessed with hitting the kid squares. Like if I have twin boys in the game maybe that will come true in real life. I don't even care about what occupation I have or how much money I win, all I want to see is, "A daughter is born. Collect presents." I will admit, last night I even cheated. I had passed most of the "kid squares" and spun a 3. I noticed that if I only went 2 I would have a son. Luckily DH was not paying attention and I counted 3 and went 2. I was so excited to finally have that little blue peg in the back of my blue plastic car. As if the little blue son was to say that now this "life" I was pretending to have was valid. As if I was going to have children in real life because the game, that I had now cheated at, said so. Like maybe this transfer would be the one. I feel totally ridiculous to admit that a child's game could lead me to believe such things. I am not a superstitious person, I do not believe in horoscopes or fortune tellers, so why does this silly game have such a hold on me. I even secretly hope DH will land on the squares, like maybe we can add all our kids together at the end to boost our chances. (Which, by the way, he had 5 kids last night! He didn't have enough room for all the pegs in his car and one son had to lay down in the middle.)

When we play and I have kids later in the game or not at all I look at my little blue and pink peg and feel pity for them. "They must be infertile," I think. I hope and pray that their luck will change, that I will spin the right number so I can add pegs to the back seat. After all, they are driving a 6 passenger car and what a lonely car that is when it is empty. Like our family car is and our 4 bedroom home.

I know, it's crazy, but every time I land on one of those squares my heart skips a beat and is filled with hope.

10 comments:

  1. You're not crazy. I can totally identify with you connecting the fertility of your game character with your real life. I mean, I haven't played that game for about 15 years (or longer), but I can see myself doing the EXACT SAME thing.
    Lol, I didn't know it was a retro version - is there a more modern version that includes a minivan that fits 1.67 kids and 2 labs and a square for "husband gets snipped, skip bcp"?

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  2. What an awesome post! How many of us have tried to will ourselves to have a different outcome through thoughts and actions just like yours!?! I've been there. I can totally understand.

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  3. That's the next best thing to 'real' Life! Whatever it takes to keep our hope tank full!

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  4. Wow -- what great symbolism. It really does seem like chance these days, who ends up with kids and who doesn't. I used to believe in some sort of "plan" but now I'm not so sure. Who's to say I didn't just roll the wrong number on the dice? If only I could "cheat" and scoot back an extra space.

    I love this post. Big hugs,
    Jo

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  5. This post was great. Keeping hope alive is always important. Wishing you the very best.

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  6. How cool would it be cheat when noone is looking and get the baby boy or girl?! I can totatlly relate though, the money and house dont matter so much when it's just the little ones you want so badly.
    xoxoxoxox

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  7. I TOTALLY GET GET IT!!!!!

    I was JUST playing LIFE last week with my 7 year old neice and I got so excited when I landed on the baby squares. My neice never landed on one...she didn't even notice...but I felt a momment of sadness for her little peg person that maybe she was battling IF and how tough I know that is.

    I no where you are right now...in real life...I imagine you are filled with excitement and fear and just about every other emotion possible when you think if this upcoming FET.

    I'm sending all the positive prayers I can for you to land on one of those magical baby squares in the real game of life!!!! XOXOX

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  8. Whenever I used to play that game i always ended up hitting every single kid and twin space. and I would have to use two cars.
    The joke really was on me since it took seven years to have one baby!
    How I wished I was as fertile as my plastic peg version.

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  9. I remember that game! And this is a great post.

    (Arrived from the Crème de la Crème list)

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  10. I've never played that game. Now I wish I'd tried it!

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