A Lesson Learned

The full moon holds sway over the earth, and strange things happen. The dog barks incessantly at everything that moves in the luminescent landscape. And Isaiah convinces me to go to the midnight release of the latest Oblivion game.

It's pre-ordered; he paid in full with his own money. All he needs is an adult to pick it up for him because of the M rating. Two friends come along with Isaiah; they meet another friend there. The two will be staying overnight with us. No school tomorrow! The plan is to play the new game until they drop from exhaustion. Life is good.

The store is crowded but not jam-packed. There are plenty of people there who don't need a parent along.

The game plays on monitors around the store. The boys stand in front of one, but none of them want to risk looking foolish. They avoid the controller. Someone older comes over and takes the controller and marches into the mountains with a big sword and a left hand capable of shooting fire at enemies.

The boys watch, and anticipate; this will be so good!

Our turn comes. I flash my ID. No good. The computer says Kim, not Jim. Yeah, that's my wife; she's home fast asleep. But I'm here. No, it has to be Kim. It's a liability issue. We can only release it to Kim. Yeah, but look: same address, same last name.... No. So, you got a release form I could sign? Anything? Nope.

We leave. Gameless. At first Isaiah is angry at me. Then at Kim. Then, as the truck speeds down the highway through the moonlight, he begins making disparaging comments about all the "adult nerds" who didn't have anything better to do with their lives than play video games. Starting tonight ahead of him. Finally his anger focuses: it's Gamestop and their stupid rules.

So now Isaiah is angry at giant corporations who put their bottom line ahead of the little guy they say they're serving.

So the trip wasn't a complete waste of time.