Hello everyone,
I am a veteran gamer, playing games since the days of internet cafes costing 3,000 VND/hour, with PCs running hotter than rice cookers. From League of Legends to Dota and Age of Wushu…, there’s no game I haven’t tried. But… that was before I got married.
Now I’m sitting here, at midnight, after my wife and child are asleep, typing away on this old forum – once my haven in youth. I don’t know if anyone will read this, but whatever, let’s consider it stress relief, releasing some “internal power” because otherwise, I’d be too choked up.
Thought my wife was a teammate, but she turned out to be a “rival”
When we were dating, my wife was so cute, when she saw me playing games, she would smile and say: “You play, I like that you have your own passion.”
Sure, my passion is gaming, while her passion now is turning my passion into household chores. Once we got married, every time I turned on my PC, it was like clockwork:
“What are you playing so much? Don’t you help me clean the house?”;
“Why are you still grinding events when the baby is crying?”;
“Can gaming even feed the baby?”…
At that moment, I wished there was a “pause” button for life.
My gaming buddies are no longer enthusiastic
Back in the day, 7 PM was golden hour: friends gathered, combat, climbing ranks. Now at 7 PM, it’s time to cook porridge, soothe the baby, and hang the laundry. Dũng from the team jokingly said: “Hey, this guy is so whipped now, he’s out of the team’s slots.” It’s funny but painful to hear.
They still game, while I can only watch the event announcements from afar with a clenched heart. The events are time-limited, while my life is limited in freedom.
The frustrations I can’t share with anyone
Bought a gaming mouse for 900,000 VND, hid it from my wife. At night, she asked: “What’s this?”. I said: “It’s a sample sent by the company…”. Result: Still got caught, nagged for 3 days non-stop.
One time, my wife asked: “Do you choose me or gaming?” I was silent. Because no matter what I choose, it’s tough.
Or that time I sneaked into the bathroom for a quick game, the internet lagged, and as I was losing, I heard a knock: “Honey, the baby just finished pooping.” I didn’t know if I was more frustrated about losing or being summoned by my wife.
But there are also priceless moments
Even though I say that… every time I see my child laughing heartily, every time my wife hugs me when I’m tired, I realize… well, gaming can wait. I don’t quit gaming, but I’m learning to play in “survival mode”: 30 minutes of sneaking in, 15 minutes of resting, 5 minutes of sneaking from my wife.
Brothers, getting married doesn’t mean the end of gaming, but rather it’s transitioning to a new server – harder, more challenging, but also with greater rewards: a home, the laughter of children, and the gaze of my wife every evening when I return.
But sometimes, I still miss my buddies, still miss the sound of “double kill”, still miss the feeling of climbing to the top. If any of you are single, take your time. If you’re married, let’s share some life gaming experience with each other. Who knows… tomorrow night I might sneak online for another game.
Signed:
A gamer who was once a terror, now a level 2 husband, level 1 father.
This article is based on the confessions of a gamer.