< by Brennan >

This weekend I attended MAGFest 11, a festival for video game and video game music enthusiasts. I previously wrote an article about my disbelief in resolutions, but this festival taught me otherwise.

I spent this past weekend talking, viewing, and enjoying some of the most ridiculous video-gaming moments you could ask for. People devoting hours of their lives to winning a Halo tournament; countless hours of Crazy Taxi (that was me); and way too much Smash Brothers (me again).

It wasn’t that so much of this seemed to be extraneous and beyond what was truly important; that is a judgment that I made myself. What truly struck me was the utter, total, and complete enjoyment, thrill, and entertainment that I saw from most of the participants.

It was a sense of total satisfaction. Total. Excitement. There was so much to be said for their real sense of devotion and promise to what others many regard as the simplest of hobbies.

I watched as people celebrated dancing like LMFAO, at least in a video game; I enjoyed seeing people embrace something new and challenging with every push of the reset. This festival wasn’t so much about following the usual path of entertainment, but rather finding what was next for your quest to be the top scorer.

So this year, I challenge you to find your area of enthusiasm. Find what makes you want to stay up all hours of the night, not bathe, and cheers the rising sun with your newest high score. It’s not a matter of being your year; this is your day.