HOW THE XBOX 360 SAVED MY RELATIONSHIP
I HAVE HEARD SOME VERY SAD STORIES ABOUT GIRLFRIENDS LEAVING THEIR DUDES BECAUSE THEY PLAY THE XBOX TOO MUCH. HOWEVER, MY SITUATION IS DIFFERENT.
MY GUY HAD A DRINKING PROBLEM. HE WAS ONE OF THOSE GUYS THAT WOULD DRINK AND DRINK AND DRINK AND END UP WAY TOO DRUNK. AND HE WOULD GET IT IN HIS HEAD THAT HE WAS 8 FEET TALL AND BULLET PROOF. HE WOULD BECOME REALLY VIOLENT. HE WANTED TO FIGHT EVERYONE AND BECAME VERY PARANOID, EVEN TOWARDS ME. HE IS ONE OF THOSE TYPES THAT DON’T LEARN HIS LESSON EASILY. HE HAS BEEN TO COURT SEVERAL TIMES AND ARRESTED ONE TOO MANY TIMES. BUT THAT STILL DIDN’T CHANGE THE WAY HE DRANK. I KNEW THAT ONE DAY HE WAS GONNA HAVE TO LEARN THE HARDEST WAY OF THEM ALL, BY ME LEAVING HIM. AND THAT IS JUST WHAT HAPPENED.
I LEFT HIM.. I KICKED HIM OUT OF MY HOUSE AND TOLD HIM TO TAKE HIS SHIT AND LEAVE. EVENTUALLY DURING ONE COURT HEARING HE WAS ORDERED TO TAKE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CLASSES, ALCOHOLIC ANONYMOUS CLASSES , AND HE WAS ORDERED TO STOP DRINKING BECAUSE IF HE WAS FOUND DRUNK OR WITH ALCOHOL IN HIS SYSTEM HE WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY SENT TO JAIL. THIS WAS A HARD TASK FOR HIM TO ACCOMPLISH BECAUSE IN HIS PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS, HE WAS SO USED TO FIGHTS, ARGUMENTS, DRINKING, PARTYING, AND KICKING IT EXCESSIVELY WITH HIS HOMIES. HE TRIED SO HARD TO DO WHAT HE WAS TOLD, FOR THE SAKE OF HIS FREEDOM AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH ME.
IT’S HARD TO QUIT ANY ADDICTION COLD TURKEY. FROM CIGARETTES, DRINKING OR EVEN EATING TOO MUCH, ALL OF US ARE ADDICTED TO SOMETHING. AND WHEN YOU ARE BASICALLY FORECED TO STOP DOING WHAT YOU’VE DONE FOR SO LONG, IT MAKES IT TEN TIMES HARDER. I STUCK IT OUT WITH HIM. I WAS WORRIED WHERE HE WAS GOING TO DIVERT HIS EXCESS ENERGY. HE STARTED TO SMOKING MORE. HE WAS UP TO TWO PACKS A DAY. AND THAT WORRIED ME TOO. I HAD TO THINK OF SOMETHING QUICK FAST THAT WOULD EASE HIM OFF DRINKING HIMSELF INTO A STUPER.
WE’RE BOTH BIG GAMERS. (AND MUSIC HEADS.) SO WHAT COULD I HAVE HIM DO THAT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR HIM TO QUIT DRINKING AND WAS A BIT HEALTHIER THAN SMOKING? (BECAUSE I KNEW THAT RUNNING A MARATHON WAS OUT OF THE QUESTION!) SO I BOUGHT HIM SOMETHING THAT I KNEW HE WOULD LOVE. MORE VIDEO GAMES. I NOTICED THAT WHEN HE WAS STRESSED, HE WOULD PLAY GAMES A BIT MORE. SO I ENCOURAGED IT. NOW WHEN HE IS ANGRY, OR WHEN I AM PISSED, WE TAKE IT OUT ON THE UNSUSPECTING VICTIMS IN THE ONLINE ROOMS OF GHOST RECON: ADVANCED WARFIGHTER. ALSO AFFECTIONATELY KNOW AS G.R.A.W. INCREASING THE TIME HE PLAYED ONLINE TOOK HIS MIND OFF THE EVER INCREASING URGES TO DRINK. WE EVEN INCREASED TIME THAT THE FAM ILY PLAYED TOGETHER.
NOW HE IS COMPLETELY FINE. MY OVERSION THERAPY WORKED. WE DIDN’T INCREASE THE TIME ON XBOX BY MUCH. MAYBE AN HOUR OR TWO MORE THAN USUAL. WE ALSO DO FAMILY WALKS TO THE STORE AND PARK. I’M A CASUAL DRINKER. I LIKE TO HAVE A BEER AFTER WORK OR A SHOT OR TWO. I HAVE NEVER BEEN THE TYPE TO DRINK TO GET DRUNK. I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THAT. NOW, HE IS LIKE ME. A BEER HERE OR THERE. AND HIS URGES FOR MORE HAVE DIED. NOW BARBECUES ARE MORE FUN BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BREAKING UP A FIGHT OR GETTING IN AN ARGUMENT BECAUSE HE CAN’T HANDLE HIS LIQUOR. THINGS ARE A LOT BETTER BETWEEN US. WE HAVE A NEW BABY, NOT TO MENTION THE OTHER KIDS WE HAVE FROM PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS, TO REMIND US THAT THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO LIVE FOR. ……AND THAT’S HOW THE XBOX 360 SAVED MY RELATIONSHIP.
