My name is Jamie Dexter, and I’m coming out of the closet.
I’ve kept this a secret from many since I was old enough to form thoughts inside my tiny, Pixie-Stick-addled brain.
Yes, I have a secret identity. Several of them, actually.
Sometimes I don a costume and fight the evils of Gotham City with many expensive gadgets.
On other days, I may feel a little above the law and jack a few cars and drive recklessly, plowing down pedestrians while I’m running from one errand to another.
Lately, though, I’ve felt more comfortable in a suit of armor, lobbing fireballs at gigantic spiders and slaying dragons with my two-handed sword. That is, until I took an arrow to the knee.
No, I’m not crazy. I’m a gamer.
I first picked up the joystick even before I began elementary school. A cousin handed me an old Atari with a box full of games, and I was blown away by all the different types of games I could play.
“Frogger,” however, was my absolute favorite. Though I was too young to actually be good at anything, I did enjoy watching what passed for a semi-truck smoosh what was supposed to be the innocent little frog I was controlling.
Years later, as a young and slightly feminine nerd, I found myself the brunt of bullying and jokes, and sometimes violence. I was, and always have been, about as athletic as a paper weight.
I watched as some kids coped with alcohol, drugs or whatever they could get their hands on, but when I was feeling like the world was against me, I’d just boot up a game where the world actually WAS against me.
And through hours of gameplay, a few tantrums and a ton of victories, I’d forget all about all the challenges that faced me in the halls of my school.
While game graphics have changed, and storylines have become more like summer blockbusters than a simple task of rescuing a princess in need, my love for gaming has only grown.
There’s nothing more satisfying than coming home from a tough day at work and tearing through a pack of zombies with a chainsaw.
By day, I may be mild-mannered, nerdy writer Jamie Dexter, but once I’m off the clock, I can almost be anyone I want. I welcome you to join me on this journey from my Out & About blog, even if you aren’t a gamer.
You might just find that you have a few secret identities waiting for you, as well. Be sure to follow my blog called “Dexter’s 50 Cents” at outandaboutnewspaper.com.