Game of Life

(the prompt was about games and child hood. I decided to put any words that are game titles in capitals)

'I may have to grow old, but I don't have to grow up.'

The good book says, "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, thought as a child, reasoned as a child. Now that [I am grown] I have put away childish things"

Really? Not our society. 'Childish Things' is big business.
That would be a good name for an OPERATION that sells them.
Some MASTERMIND repackages them in BREAKOUT movies.
I understand how hard it is to LEGO of childhood.

We can't let games have a MONOPOLY on out time, right?
We have to leave the TRIVIAL PURSUITs of life to work.

Maybe we can use some of our skills from games to help us:
TETRIS?--grocery bagger. CENTIPEDE?-Pest control expert.
RISK?-insurance agent(RISK assessment department, of course).
OPERATION?-how many doctors used to play this?
DEFENDER?-Lawyer(public defender) or the Dept. of Defense.

The real problem comes in facing the PITFALLs of real life.
I'm SORRY, I don't want to be all DOOM and gloom here,
But in this world we will have TROUBLE.

BARBIE is on 'the surreal housewives of MATELL'.
G.I. JOE has post traumatic stress disorder.
PAC MAN and HUNGRY HIPPPO have eating disorders.
HOPSCOTCH always did look like a sobriety test.
Maybe we skip the scotch and stop playing beer PONG.

'Win at any cost, but play by the rules', we were taught.
Seems the new rules are CHEAT but don't get caught.
CAPTURE THE FLAG is a hostile take over.
TAG is pass the buck, shift the blame, sling mud at your opponent.
It BOGGLEs the mind.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think we should put games away.
I'm encouraged by the popularity of games today.
Let's press the reset button and return to innocence and family.
Dig out your dusty rule book and read it again.
It is a guideline to success, fairness, and playing well with others.
Trade childishness for child-likeness.

To really paraphrase Jesus, "Never refuse a child your time and attention. This is a key to the kingdom of Heaven (or spiritual enlightenment if you will): it's not too late to change your ways. Approach life with child like faith, humility and wide-eyed wonder, and you will begin to see wonderful things and go to amazing places."  

Hallmark Shakespeare

(I once tried to read a page of Othello to a friend with bad vocabulary, and my two young nieces. "I will never get it" ,one said. I began translating/paraphrasing it in words they understood. Today I am trying probably his most famous speech from Hamlet--to be or not to be)

To live or die, mmmmm?

Is it braver to take the bad stuff life throws at you, to choose life,

or fight the bad stuff by choosing to end it all?

 To die and look like you're peacefully sleeping.

To stop the pain and problems of living sounds like a good idea for a moment.

Is death like being asleep? Do you dream?

Yep, these two opposing ideas will chafe your mind raw.

If death is like sleep and you dream, you don't know what kind of dreams you have.

Really makes you stop and think.

It's not being sure that makes a long life kind of sad.

If you knew all the bad stuff in your life, like:

The scars time leaves on your body and soul,

Or how mean bosses and bullies can be,

Or how many arrogant jerks you'll meet,

Or how painful rejection and lost love is,

Or how little justice is in a legal system that doesn't help in time if at all,

Or how corrupt, lazy, or unfeeling those in authority can become, 

Or what a kick in the behind it is when you work hard and do good,

Yet some undeserving snake insults you and takes the credit or profit themselves.

Maybe if you tore open your shirt and plunged an actual knife in your heart,

They would all shut up and leave you alone--make your own peace.

Why do we choose to sweat and grunt under the heavy burden of this weary life?

It is the dreadful fear of something after death.

Death is a foreign place we have never personally experienced.

It is a one-punch permanent ticket with a no return policy.

That is what confuses the mind and makes the will run around in circles.

We end up putting up with the bad stuff in life,

rather than blindly jumping into an open grave with no safety net.

Our conscience makes cowards of us all.

The original bold plan to end it all is watered down by fearful thoughts.

So to keep from following through with it or even thinking about it,

We find a hobby or project that seems important and takes a lot of energy.

I better quit talking to myself, I hear my girl coming. She's so pretty.

When she prays, it's probably all about things I've done wrong.