Seated in the warm dining room, the fading light filtering through the windows and illuminating the ivy covered walls of the old house, you take a seat at the table. A plate, piled high with roasted ham glazed with honey—personally preferred over the dryer turkey—and a hearty amount of mashed potatoes. A glass filled with sparkling grape juice—alcohol is and has always been a rare sight at parties like these, with even the adults abstaining from alcoholic beverages.
As you all start to eat, light discussions begin. Much of it, your typical small talk. ‘How’s college?’ ‘Good, classes are going well, yes it’s enjoyable. The food’s alright, certainly not as good as this though.’ Typical things. Then of course the question always comes.
‘Speaking of college, you’re about to graduate soon, right? What do you plan on doing with your degree? Why, History and English are very useful degrees, so I’m sure you could find some rewarding job to put them to use.’
And when you answer ‘I’d like to work in the video game industry,’ the inevitable blank stares. Well, of course what they’ll say is ‘Oh, that sounds interesting,’ or ‘I’ve heard video games are popular these days.’ Empty words.
The cousin who Majored in Poli sci works in Washington, the other who Majored in Art partakes in countless activist protests for sweeping political change. Your grandfather who didn’t have the time for college but nonetheless spent countless hours pouring over the Greek Classics. To your family, liberal arts is one of the most valuable things that can be contributed. That can help push society forwards, to better and brighter places. To them, getting a degree in liberal arts just to go into entertainment feels a bit hollow. So of course they suggest that you become a teacher instead. ‘Sure, the pay isn’t great, but it’s a rewarding job! Educating the youth, what could be more important than that?’
What do you say to that then? In the end, you talk about how ‘Video games and multimedia techniques are the future of educating the youth. By using technology and more entertaining methods, we can give children more engaging, hands-on experiences. For instance, a historical video game that allows students to walk through Victorian England.’
And everyone’s eyes light up with understanding, and they applaud your foresight and drive to help improve society. And then the conversation moves on.
Well, what you said wasn’t a lie—it’s something you believe, after all. But that’s not the kind of video game you want to make. Educational? Historically poignant? Improving society? Grand concepts, lofty ideals that are worthwhile striving for. But not the ones you strive for. You just want to make something that you find fun.
I must admit, it is very refreshing to read about a family already well-versed in the value a liberal arts degree has. Furthermore, the theme of always having to do something for the greater good and having to justify or provide our lives mission is daunting. You portray dialogue in scenes beautifully, and they transition with the character’s actions seamlessly! The description in the opening paragraphs illustrates the warmth of thanksgiving with the “roasted ham glazed with honey,” and “a hearty amount of mashed potatoes.” This story felt very natural and was effortless to picture.
I really like the tone of your piece and I can understand the frustration and struggle, I think all of us can relate to that. I really like the use of questions in the last paragraph, I think that’s really unique!
You do a great job setting the scene and creating a beautiful atmosphere. I can imagine exactly how this conversation would go in real time as you described the interactions between you and your relatives. Nice job!
I wanted more! There is a lot of character to how you describe your family, though without naming anybody in that group, I lose out on feeling the intimacy that comes from familial recognition.
Comedy is an intrinsically interpersonal art. A joke requests laughter from its audience, which the audience must be willing to give. As the post is now, I feel unattached to you and your family, as you do not characterize who is there.
Other than that, I think your point is pretty good, and unique among these blog posts. It positions you the same as other blog posts position their authors, as the enlightened ‘one’ re-entering the familiar, yet somewhat hostile world of family Thanksgiving. Though, as other commenters have pointed out. Your enlightenment is not your liberal arts education. The family is awfully understanding of that. You hold practical knowledge of the video games industry.
I appreciate the educational journey of your family as you tell them about games. I find the knowledge which you choose to withhold especially charming as this conversation is only the first step in a long road to their true understanding.