The first step is acceptance
Earlier this week, I came to the conclusion that I have a problem and its name is Playstation 2 (Madden 2003, to be specific). The football season had long past and I was still obsessed with the game, to the point where it was dominating my nights and weekends. I realized that I would like to diversify my portfolio of free time with activities like reading Habermas, listening to Bud Powell, watching every movie Marlon Brando ever made and crafting things from wood with my hands. Like any good junkie worth his salt, I decided that the best way to do this was to quit cold turkey. And so on Tuesday night, I won the Super Bowl with my second fantasy franchise and hung up the controller for good (well, at least for a bit).
My hope is that this will restore in me a certain amount of vitality and vigor. I picture it like this memorable scene from The Cable Guy, when Steven (Matthew Broderick) is watching a Tony Robbins infomercial for the Personal Power Success System and considering picking up the phone:
Success Story Guy: I'm more patient, I'm more loving...So we'll see how it goes. I think the change should be immediate and obvious.
Tony Robbins: (interrupting) They tell me this.
Both: (laughter)