When you try to make it out alone in this life, it’s normal that you might face a lot of bumps on the road. You might come across things that would lure you off your pathway. I made myself a promise to take every chance I get, while keeping my main goal in mind. I didn’t want to waste any time on things that wouldn’t play a role into my future plans. Until this chance came along.
I received an email … your typical “Hey, we’re offering this experience for a study would you like to join” type of email. Nothing seemed odd or weird about it, let alone I was expecting it in the first place since our professor announced it in the class.
I am a videogames, electronics, and any type of screens junkie. Even though, for this opportunity in particular, they clearly stated in their email that they’re looking for people who do not play video games at all. I didn’t let that stop me, how would they know if I play video games or not, I’ll just act as if I don’t, it shouldn’t be so hard. I’m in for the experience after all, I’m curious to see what’s the study is all about. And so they say; curiosity killed the cat.
So I received the long awaited email at last, signed off by a woman named Jessica, as she mentioned the offer, and stated her position in the department of the company that is doing the study. I responded right away because I didn’t need more time to think about this, I have already decided to join in.
“Dear Jessica,
I hope this e-mail finds you well,
My name is Solomon, I am 18 years old, freshmen student, in the college of engineering. I am perfectly healthy, and up to new experiences.
I am writing you this email as a response to your offer of participation in the video game project/study. As a person who has never been into playing video games, I should be a perfect fit for the study, as required.
Please consider my participation, it would be an interesting experience for me as a person, as well as it will add value to my grades, since it is listed as an extra credit in my media class that I am taking.
I will attach my weekly class schedule, let me know if we can arrange a time that is suitable.
Best Regards,
Solomon.”
Casually, I received an email back with the date and time I needed to be there for the study session, and the location of course. The email seemed like it was pre-prepared to be sent to those who agreed to join in. I was suddenly exited, not only because it’s a new experience. But also because I’m oddly pretending to be someone I’m not, which felt a bit satisfying for me to play a mini role. I mean they’re studying me, how about they study a harmless deceit for a change, see if they will be able to tell that I do in fact play videogames. And meanwhile I will be studying them, how the usual study process goes, for my own knowledge.
Finally the day came, I had just finished a late calculus revision session, got my backpack, and headed straight to the address, I was waiting for this moment. The address was not too far from campus. So I just headed there by walking, got my headphones on, and listening to music on the way. As I was walking, I came across a homeless guy. This guy in particular, he’s always sitting in the same spot, usually sleeping or laying down, and when he’s not, he’s definitely smiling at people and singing. However today was different, he was awake, but he wasn’t smiling or singing. I had to get him something I thought he might just be hungry. I stepped into the convenience store he usually sits next to, and I got him a couple of things he could have as a meal, along with some snacks. I walked out, as I was handing him the food, he couldn’t care less. Which was very unlike him. He had that grumpy expression on his face. I asked him if he was ok, he said in one sentence” “put the food down and you go worry about yourself”. I felt odd. I came across this guy so many times, I got him stuff many times as well, and he never had this attitude. But I thought to myself maybe someone really bothered him, and he doesn’t want to speak about it. So I just kept walking on my way.
The sun already went down, my appointment was at 9 pm, it took me about a little bit more than an hour to get there including the time I spent in the convenience store. I was finally at the location, which was a .. town house.
I saw a guy about my age standing at the door, and just as I was walking up the few stairs, a girl with a backpack came out of the house, which I assumed her appointment was right before mine, so that gave me a little bit of comfort. The guy welcomed me in, asked for my name, and checked it off the list he’s holding. And I walked in.
First when I walked in, I saw a lady sitting on her own desk, turned out she’s Jessica, and she went: “Solomon! You’re here on time, we’re waiting for you, you’re our last participant for the day, I hope you’re ready”. And I greeted her back and all, she told me that I could walk out as I please If I didn’t want to complete the tests, she took me on a mini tour of 3 rooms, 3 tests I had to go through to complete this study, and I’ll be free to leave … and so I thought.
The first room I walked into, I had to play an average car racing game, while sitting on the ground, but I had to try to finish the race in 2 minutes, I had three trials. I played that game three times, I couldn’t really make it, which I kind of made me feel strange, how could that be a test for some non-videogame players, if I couldn’t make it myself, especially that the third time I was actually really trying. The second room I walked into, I had to play a virtual reality gun shooting game. I also had three trials to shoot a moving target. I was really trying right from the first trial this time, and I only got it the first time, the other couple of times I missed it.
When I was done with the second room I was pretty devastated, I came in with so much energy and excitement, and for some reason now I feel odd. I mean my plan was to never let them guess that I do play videogames almost all my life. But I thought I would have a little bit sense of victory, but now I actually feel defeated, that even when I tried to win, it still didn’t go so well for me. It might just be my competitive personality in the videogame world, I hate losing, especially that it wasn’t on purpose. Going into the third room, I already knew it wasn’t a video game, so I had nothing to worry about. I just had to sit in a dark room with all the lights off, which sounded to me so much like home. But the only thing I had to do is stare at a screen, that would be playing flashing images with random pictures embedded, and I had to call out what I see as soon as I notice it. The test started … but it never ended.
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