I've always known I had an affinity for immaturity. Luckily for adults there is no direct correlation between immaturity and responsibility or else many of us would be in trouble. It's not something I really think about as a man-child because it is part of my personality. It's when my wife and 8-year-old daughter point it out to me that I realize just how much certain thought processes in my head are the same as they were thirty years ago. Let me explain...
For the fourth time this week I have had someone different comment about this. I don't really think about it when it is happening, but I do realize it once I'm finished. And it's funny every time. I'm talking about Name Entry.
The first mention was a quick, passerby comment from my mother-in-law. I was playing some racing game on SNES and I entered the name "BITCH", because when possible I always use all caps. It was received with a half laugh and a "Really?" from the wife's mom. The second time it happened I was playing Chrono Trigger and I named the two main characters "BUTTS" and "BOOBS". My 8-year-old girl walked in and sat next to me (she's my retro buddy) and started reading the on screen dialogue boxes. It was at the beginning when the queen get's transported back to her time period and she was reuniting with Chrono for the first time. "BOOBS, is that you?", my daughter said as I snickered. Then, just like my MIL, she said "Really?", and stood up and walked away.
I didn't put much thought into it. By now the kids are used to my dad jokes and childish exuberance. Sometimes they think it's funny, sometimes they don't. Except for my 7-year-old son. If you say poop, he laughs. If you say fart, he laughs. If you actually fart, he laughs. He's at the age where he's an easy win to make me feel like I say the right thing. So when he was sitting next to me while I was playing Galaga, which I do a lot, and I got to the high scores screen I pointed out my initials. FRT, ASS, PEE, POO, etc... I got the laugh I was looking for. Only the kind of laugh a little boy can give you for pointing out something so stupid and immature. Of course I was laughing too, because he kept repeating my names (except ASS, he's not allowed to say that one) and in walks my wife to see what is so funny. By this point my son and I are laughing pretty hard because of the whole "laughing is contagious" thing, and as my wife is giggling I get that word again... "Really?", she said.
That's the third time someone said "Really?". I didn't say anything but it made me start thinking, do people always say "Really?" and I'm just now noticing it because when I do something childish I'm to busy thinking "Yeah, that's some funny shit!"? Have people always thought this way about me? Not just my family, but friends too? I'll be honest, I thought about it for a good two minutes, but then I remembered my son was sitting next to me. All I said was "fart" and the laughing contest was back on.
I will honestly probably treat my Name Entry on games like a child until I'm too old to play games.
Update: Well it's not really an update because I started this post last night and didn't finish until today, but I got a text from my wife. Apparently my son was playing Galaga... just so he could put his initials at the end. His initials? "BUT"
I'm so proud.
