Go Old School to ‘Game’ the System

I miss the days when game shows dominated the weekday morning TV lineup. Sure The Price is Right still chugs along, and Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy are evening mainstays – but where have all the others gone?

I know what you’re thinking: Symone, have you heard of the Game Show network? Joyfully, I have. Sadly, I no longer have the channel.

I fear the demise of board games. I devoted hours back in the day to my favorites: Sorry, Parcheesi, Chinese Checkers and Uncle Wiggily (I swear it exists, even though no one but me seems to have heard of it). Uncle Wiggily teaches rhyming, reading and counting as players help a friendly rabbit navigate through the woods to a doctor’s appointment.

Video games, don’t take offense. There’s plenty of room for you in my world. I would boot up my old Nintendo in an instant to rediscover Super Mario Brothers 3. But, you’ll always be my second choice.

Want to know a secret? I didn’t like Life and Monopoly one bit. I remember my siblings trying to play – I thought it was a lot more fun to confiscate the money.

At the Risk of being a bit dramatic (see what I did there? My brother loved Risk), playing board games as a child helped shape my personality. Some were challenging. Others were funny. But all bring back cherished memories of loved ones.

So, dust off Scrabble. Dig out Battleship. Let the games begin!

Technology: Love It or Leave It? Nah, Just Use It in Moderation

Let me start by saying this: Technology isn’t all bad. It’s just best in small doses. Check out my ode to the merits – and downfalls – of technology.

Love it: I remember writing essays while attending high school and groaning in frustration when I made a mistake and didn’t have any correction ribbon left. Today, I vanquish typos with a quick keystroke.

Leave it: Oh, Mr. Spell Check. You trick people into thinking that an e-mail free of spelling errors prevents them from sending a message full of grammatical errors. Shame on you.

Love it: Sending a text message to a colleague, friend or loved one is extremely efficient.

Leave it: Dining with someone who is glued to their cell phone – barely nodding and mumbling “uh-huhs” as you attempt to converse with them – makes me want to take their phone and throw it across the room

Love it: I can’t express how much I loved playing “Super Mario Brothers” (all of them!) when I was in middle school. In case you’re wondering, I did not watch the related cheesy television show.

Leave it: Children who overindulge in video games can experience significant learning and developmental challenges. Moderation is key.

Love it: It’s so nice to shop online during the holidays and not risk my life battling the crowds for presents. During the Cabbage Patch Kids craze of 1983, my mom happily clutched one of the coveted dolls in her arms until a tall man reached down and ripped it out of her hands. There’s the spirit of Christmas.

Leave it: With convenience comes the fear of breached passwords and identify theft.

Love it: Online educational games provide a fun outlet for adults and kids alike.

Leave it: Where would I be without my memories of playing board games such as Uncle Wiggily and Scrabble? You can find many of these games online, but it’s just not the same as sitting around the table with family members on a Saturday night.

So, the moral of the story is moderation, moderation, moderation. It’s the philosophy I apply to most things in life, such as when I journey to Olive Garden and indulge in my favorite dessert. I would happily order two, but the thought of being carried out on a stretcher due to overeating deters me. It would just be too much of a good thing. Makes sense, doesn’t it?