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Dear Ms. Hammond:

My girlfriend knows two things about me, one being that I love to play video games. However, she also knows that I love her dearly, and as such, we both put up with the things about each other that annoy us.

She was in the drama club at her school, so she asked me one day to come to one of her plays they were putting on. I was never too fond on plays or theatre at all, so I grudgingly went and watched what her school’s young actresses could give the audience. And guess what? I enjoyed it. I’ve been to every one of her plays since.

I used to be addicted to Halo 2, just as your boyfriend is now. She wasn’t too fond of the idea of me using her brother’s XBox when I was at her house to play the game online with these so-called “other dumb asses”, so I asked her to play along with me. And guess what? She enjoyed it. She would play the single-player campaign along with me and was willing to learn of ins-and-outs of being “good” at the game.

I’ve since moved onto a different game, one that involves a much-increased level of addiction. She also wasn’t too fond of this. One day I rose from my seat, had her make her own character, and try it out. And guess what? She enjoyed it. She realized just why it was so addicting and played for and hour or two before I pried her away, just as she did to me earlier.

There are people online who can maintain their relationships even with a slight addiction to the game. I know because I and a great number of my friends do so. Maybe, instead of idly dismissing video games as “stupid graphic annoyance[s]” and calling young men who enjoy playing games as people with “[their] little paws glued to [their] fat Xbox controllers”, you should try your hand at playing Halo 2. Granted, there are annoying people playing online, and there are immature people playing online, but there are these types of people within any hobby. Try surprising your boyfriend by picking up a controller and playing along with him. I guarantee you he’ll enjoy just having you around.

And guess what? You might enjoy it.

Sincerely,Colin BurchSaint Louis UniversitySaint Louis, Missouri