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Top 5 Reasons You Should Marry a Gamer

7/6/2016

13 Comments

 

Check this article out on the Huffington Post!

Marry a Gamer
My husband is a burly, bearded gamer. I am a short, pale bookworm.


We are, in many ways, the definition of opposites attract. 


My husband loves any kind of game, really. He plays Warhammer—a tabletop game—video games, computer games. He logged more hours on Fallout 4 than I think is even healthy. Every night, while I’m reading, writing or cooking dinner, his go-to activity is plopping in front of some kind of game and escaping to a new world.


I fill our home with quote pictures, books, makeup, and throw pillows.


He fills our home with miniature models, video game systems, Loot Crates, and headsets.
We are 28, still young enough to be adventurous, to be social.


But we aren’t, and we don’t.


Most nights, the call of the gamer speaks to my husband, and he must answer it.


Don’t feel too sorry for me, though. It’s not like this came out of nowhere. It’s not like I married a hiking enthusiast only to be blindsided by a secret gaming addiction. I entered into this relationship knowing this was who he was.


You may ask: Why would I willingly subject myself to this? Why am I okay with the fact my 28-year-old husband probably games more than a teenager?


Oh, I’ve done my share of complaining. I’ve whined about his childish hobby, especially when he tries to use it to get out of mowing the lawn. I’ve scolded him about how much money he’s dumped into make-believe. I’ve rolled my eyes when I’ve heard so many stories about PewDiePie I feel like the guy is family even though I’ve never watched a single video.


Looking at it now, though, 5 years into marriage, I’ve realized, like many things, there are silver linings to marrying a gamer.


 1. I know where he is on Friday.  I know so many women who have to worry, to wonder where their man is. Is he going to the bar to find a new woman? Can he really be trusted with his friends on a wild night to Vegas?
None of these things have ever crossed my mind.
If Chad isn’t at home in front of his game, he’s out with his friends.
Where is out with his friends? Gatehouse Games, our local tabletop gaming store. Here, you can find camaraderie, a soda machine, lots of talk about things I don’t understand, and some loud rock music.
What won’t you find? Wild times, crazy girls clawing at your man, alcohol, or bad decisions—other than maybe too much money spent on a new army.
Other Fridays, if Chad’s out with his friends… he’s in our gaming room. Playing games. Right down the hall.
I’ve found that, for the most part, a gaming man doesn’t stray too far from his games, from his gamer friends, from his life of imagination. A night at the bar? Please. My husband would rather spend a night exploring magical lands of dragons and zombies.


 2. I get lots of reading and TV time.Yes, my husband spends a lot of time on his video games. Yes, he spends a lot of time pushing buttons on a controller.
But you know what?
It’s okay. Because it gives me tons of time to do what I love: reading and watching Netflix.
I don’t have to fight with my husband because a sporting event is coming on he wants to watch. If I need to feed my OITNB addiction, he goes on his computer, no questions asked. If I want to read and have some “me” time, he puts a headset on.
Don’t get me wrong. We still make time for each other. Every Thursday night is movie night, where we put phones, games, and books aside. Every Saturday, we go out to dinner or cook dinner at home together. Each night, we take time talk and walk our mastiff Henry. We make time for each other.
But we don’t only spend time together. We also give each other time apart. His gaming hobby leads to plenty of guilt-free time to pursue what I love. And he doesn’t insist I try to love his hobby because he can do his hobby while sitting right beside me.


3. He has a good imagination.I’ve lived thousands of lives through the pages of my books. I’ve been to other countries, to worlds that don’t exist.
So has my husband.
We both like to explore other worlds—just through different mediums of choice. His gaming has incited a creativity in him, something certainly helpful for a writer like me. We’ve had so many conversations that start with “what if.” We have imaginative discussions, mostly thanks to his imagination incited by gaming.
As a writer, I’ve had so many times where I’m doubting a story line or wondering where to go. Chad’s penchant for storytelling that surfaced from his love of games always helps talk me out of a writing hole. 
It’s nice to be married to a man who doesn’t think anything is impossible, who can think creatively.


4. My husband has goals.Okay, so his goal may be to 100% a game. But he has goals and perseverance. He knows what it’s like to work hard for something you want. 
Are the achievements he seeks on his Xbox always rational? No, especially in my eyes. However, it’s good to see someone with persistence, with a go-get-it attitude. This translates into a marriage where he doesn’t quit when things get tough. He knows overcoming tough levels takes work, and he doesn’t throw in the towel or the controller when things seem impossible. 


5. Gamers will teach you to do what you enjoy.There is still stigma surrounding the gaming world. So many look at my husband and think he’s childish, lazy, or just plain nerdy. Other guys tease him for not spending his time working on his truck or going hunting. Gaming is synonymous with a lack of manliness, at least to some.
But Chad doesn’t care. He games because it’s what he loves. He’s taught me it’s good to have a hobby you enjoy, no matter what others think. He follows this concept in all areas of his life. Recently, we were at the beach. When people were looking at a hurricane simulator in the arcade but feeling too adult to try it out, Chad jumped right it. Did people stare? Yes. Did people think he was childish? Absolutely. But it was something he wanted to do, so he didn’t worry about what everyone thought. He just did it.
Chad’s gaming has taught me not to worry about social stigma. Follow your passions and do what makes you happy.


So Marry a Gamer Some may say gamers are geeky and obsessed and sedentary. Some of this may be accurate
But he’s my gamer. And even though I don’t know what  “For the Horde” means, even though the only game I’ve ever successfully played is Goat Simulator, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
13 Comments
Emily Dillon
7/6/2016 11:10:58 pm

This post hit close to home. My husband is a gamer as well and I am a bookworm. I found myself really relating to all of your points. My husband is one of the most kind and caring people I know, he's also one of the funniest and most creative people I know. I feel like his love of games has kept that creativity that so many people lose once they "grow up." GREAT POST!

Reply
Lindsay Detwiler
7/7/2016 06:54:52 am

Thank you so much! I definitely agree with your comment about creativity :) I am so glad you could relate! Thanks for commenting.

Reply
Leslie
6/3/2017 09:03:18 pm

I can relate completely to this post. Being married for 15 years to a gamer has been a rollercoaster. I've seen him lead guilds, beat any challenge from Everquest to HON and succeed in his career as a Network Engineer. I've also enjoyed all the spare time I still have for myself to invest my time in the hobbies I like without feeling guilt at all, even going out with friends and coworkers after work for a couple of beers while he is at home playing. Is the best lifeyou could ever ask for.

Reply
Shifu
10/20/2017 10:07:48 pm

Thank you for this. Found myself relating to everything here. My fiancé is a gamer and I am a bookworm. He is the most caring and sweet guy I’ve ever met. And if there is one thing he has taught me, its that I should do what I love (to hell with judgement)! I wouldn’t trade my gamer for anyone.

Reply
Misty
4/3/2018 10:42:00 pm

The problem is my husband never wants to spend time with me. Any free time he has he wants to game. I find myself being extremely lonely. I am only good for taking care of our kids and putting meals on the table, cleaning the house, etc. yes, it could be worse but sometimes I really regret marrying someone whose hobby is life encompassing.

Reply
Josie
2/8/2021 11:57:41 pm

“The Top 5 Reasons You Should Marry A Gamer” and 1 big one you should not: Children
When you first have kids, you may not notice the creeping resentment that builds between you and your gamer. When they’re really small, you’ll be so neck deep in diapers, you may not notice your “me time” being swallowed up, because maybe your gamer is losing precious gaming time, too. The rift grows as the kids age and start to ask to go places and do things. Then, you start bringing the kids to special school events, or anywhere on the weekend that the kids want to go, but he’d rather game. The implication is that I wouldn’t rather stay home and read or knit. I would, but the kids want to go to the movie night or the light show or whatever it is, so I bring them. I bring them and look like a single parent, because most kids have BOTH parents with them. This is what happens when you raise kids with a gamer. Time spent as a family is only spent all together when and if he or she feels like it. And usually a gamer feels like gaming.

Another issue that has developed over time? The phone games. The phone technology has advanced to where very sophisticated, slick games are right in your palm. So prepare yourself to see a lot more of the top of your gamer’s head as he or she looks down at a phone during dinner, during your kid’s karate belt test, during a movie or show you’ve sat down to watch “together.” You’ll find they’re missing details, missing jokes, and you’ll know why, because you’ll look over to share a moment, but they’re playing a game. That happens enough and you’ll become less interested in spending time with your gamer. Then, you may not have to worry about them getting hit on in a bar, but do you really want to spend your life with someone, who doesn’t really seem to want to spend life with you? Who wants to miss out on these memories with the kids for a game? I think it’s important to ask yourself and your gamer how life with kids may play out. I hope your gamer can sacrifice their gaming for the good of the family. I know that, in my home, it’s an ongoing problem, and I’m not sure if our marriage can bear the growing resentment and emotional distance.

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