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February 7, 2016 (HARDCOREDROID) – It’s been a long time since I wrote a diary, and I call it that rather than a journal, because I’ve always hated the term “journalist.” I call myself a writer online, even though of all the input methods I use to interact with the world, actual handwriting is the one I’ve used least over the course of my life.

When I was a kid, I loved Cherry Sprite, and then it became a Shirley Temple, and boys were encouraged to order Rob Roys or wtfever they called Cherry Coke back then. I’ve since learned Grenadine is actually made of pomegranate juice, not cherry, and that’s just one of the lies the world tells us.

I’m writing this editorial for Hardcore Droid, because I’ve been refracting and reflecting on my role in this world as a freelancer and how and why I got into this business in the first place – what makes it fun and what fuels my passion.

To be clear as a freelancer, Hardcore Droid is one of my many clients. Typically the editorial staff of media outlets or PR/marketing managers are my writing audience. It just so happens some of that writing ends up published all over the web, but something I’ve not done since I was just a scared whistleblower learning my craft is write to an audience of myself.

I’m doing it now and publishing it here because winter has come, it’s cold, and I’m just feeling reflective on the morning of a Super Bowl I stopped caring about the instant my friends in Charlotte sent word that the Panthers knocked out the Cardinals.

An Aimless Adventure

Yesterday afternoon I filmed my second episode of the Aimless Adventure podcast. They went viral last year for posting a YouTube video of a 9-minute Madden fumble glitch with around 300,000 hit at the start of the season. It was featured throughout the video game media, even making it to USA Today.

On the strength of that momentum, Josh Irwin bought some podcasting mics, and they began podcasting their weekly Dungeons & Dragons adventures. Looking for a way to channel a lifetime of skills, dreams, and collaborations, he and his friends built a sustainable podcast channel, obtaining media passes to local events, and securing interviews with a wide variety of Arizona B-listers with Big Bang followings.

Josh and I went to school together since 5th grade, when I was already above 6 feet tall, and the young Yao Ming of the school basketball court. We were both military brats whose fathers were stationed in Fort Huachuca when the jungle wars subsided and the desert wars were ramped up.

Being between Facebook Friends Day and Valentine’s Day, we reflected on the time Josh Wilson tried a layup on me, and I grabbed the ball in midair and hit him in the face with it. The impact pushed his head into his body, crushing a portion of his spine. He was removed from the court on a stretcher by EMTs and spent his childhood home-schooled and walking with a cane.

Overcome with guilt, I spent from about 5th grade to high school playing video games, board games, card games, and Dungeons and Dragons with him until we eventually grew apart.

Decades later, I’m camping in a van outside a friend’s house this morning. She’s going through a divorce, and we’re liquidating everything but the dog, kid, and house to scrape together a deposit for a new place. I just need a garage for my Rick and Morty dream home. The rest of the house is her problem to deal with.

I’m selling my 3DS and giving away the games to create a WWE belt for The League reference I made to Irwin’s podcast for a Hip-Hop Gamer-inspired trophy/prize for the winner of the quiz at the end of their podcast.

The theme of the rectangle table discussion was essentially pushing boundaries, and I’ve been reflecting on all those games I’ve played in my life. This year I’m returning to my passion.

I’m simultaneously playing Age of Wushu: Dynasty and Hearthstone mostly since Smite’s January 2016 update pissed me off. My Hearthstone healing priest deck is literally legendary, so if you’re ever online, add me: @Versability

That’s all of me I have for this morning. It’s almost 8AM, and the sun’s coming up. It’s gonna be a good SuperBowl Sunday, cause I got no skin in the game and am working for free on my passion projects.

Find out how far you can take things and then hit reset and try again…this has been your moment of Zen.