Blast!

You do crazy things for people you care about. It's invariably birthdays for which I do things that I have no desire to do or which I haven't done in a very long time. It wasn't so long ago that I found myself playing mini-golf again for the first time since achieving puberty, and playing games in an arcade for the first time in nearly as long. These were for birthdays, one of which also entailed the birth of a baby, I think.

Well, a more recent birthday had me doing something that held little appeal for me. As I say though, you do these things when you care about someone. A good friend was having a birthday, as seems to happen all too often, and it was his wish that we play laser tag. I would rather have been to the sushi restaurant that preceded this event, but as it worked out I couldn't make it. I ate at home and made my way to the laser tag venue.

They had an arcade of modest size, and so we played some of their games. We finally got to play the laser tag, and sat dutifully through the lecturing about safety and how to use the equipment. It did me little good to listen. In two games of laser tag, I finished last in my time by every measure I could detect. I was defeated by children again and again. I can't decide whether it is less palatable to be patronized by a child or trash-talked by one.

I just hope that I won't be compelled to do it again. I'm content to say that I was game to do it this one time, but I have no desire of having my willingness tested again. Competitive endeavors are hard enough when my livelihood is on the line, and so I do not wish to go through it when there is nothing to be gained outside of bragging rights over strange children and grown men who patronize such places of their own free will.