Drilling Down into My New Obsession
Since leaving school, I’ve done very little. I had grand illusions of cooking dinner every night, keeping up on all my housework, and having plenty of time to go out to see friends, see movies, and do everything else that I put off while I was finishing my degree. The reality? I haven’t done much at all. About the only thing I spent a significant amount of time doing? Knitting and Minecraft . The fabulous Brandon Schory points out that knitting actually is a productive enterprise - after all, I’ve created scarves, shawls, sweaters for my coffee cups, and I’m now working on a sweater for my actual body! (Stay tuned)
The same cannot be said for Minecraft.
Minecraft is the adult, online version of Legos. I joined a friend’s server, which hosts a rather impressive world of eight bit blocks. My friend Connor has managed to design a practically-to-scale replica of Notre Dame Cathedral. Our buddy Tikki created a perfect sphere using something like 3,000 blocks. Somebody else re-created the lighthouse.
I personally have a tiny house in the cathedral Square. It’s pretty adorable. Also, I have a dog.
Also? I have a problem.
My Minecraft house is far more well-kept and organized than my real house. Everything in blockland is in its place, neatly tucked away in chests that have compartments for everything. There is no pet fur on the furniture. There is no furniture! Need to sit on the couch in the virtual world, when you’re digging into an 8-bit underground caverns, killing zombies, and being assaulted by creepers (for the uninitiated, Creepers SUCK. They blow up your shit. And they laugh while doing it).
Minecraft is sort of the intellectual equivalent of bubble wrap. However, it has captivated my attention for months now. After I ran out of steam playing Warcraft, I decided I needed something else (other than cleaning my house, of course… let’s not be ridiculous) to capture my attention…
And my obsession with Minecraft was born.
I have no doubt that this infatuation with tiny blocks will eventually wear out, as did my Warcraft addiction; however, until then, I’m just going to let myself be a lump. Obsessions have a purpose in our lives. Sometimes you just need a mindless activity to give your brain a break from more mindful pursuits (like sweaters).
The downside? I can’t really rag on people who play Second Life anymore, since at least their avatars don’t have square heads. I can only recognize a similar need to completely escape, while building something totally useless and totally delightful.
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