Two-Sentence Story

Last night I had an itch that would not let me go to sleep, and I knew what it was; however, as hard as I tried, I could not reach it. So, I stood up all night cursing the person that forgot to take my toe tag off before I was buried.

POEM

Before I had you, I was a snowflake— cold, lonely, and lost.

Now that I have you, I am in love with the thought that perhaps, just perhaps, we both are

snowflakes holding hands

so that when we fall to the snow on the ground, we will fall warmly together in perfect harmony.

Life Lessons Mario Kart Taught

Life Lessons Mario Kart Taught

Like many others part of Generation Y, often called the Millenniums, I grew up playing Mario Kart in both the SNES, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Gamecube. Mario Kart is one of those few video games game we consider a classic, and the reason why is simple. Mario Kart is timeless. My older cousins grew up playing Mario Kart in the early 90’s, I grew up playing Mario Kart in the late 90’s, my sisters played Mario Kart in the 2000’s, and my older cousins children now play Mario Kart in the 2010’s, and we all still play.

Face it, when you go over someone’s house, and they ask if you would want to play Mario Kart, you can’t refuse. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, even if you’re in your late 20’s, or older. I’m not saying everyone likes Mario Kart, I’m just saying that it’s hard to not enjoy it. If you have children, you will seat down saying you’ll play a round, or two, with them, and end up racing for an hour. If you’re in your teens, you’ll play along with your younger siblings, or you’ll be like me, and play by yourself. If you’re younger than a teen, why are you reading this? Go play some Mario Kart.

Parents, if you don’t allow your children to play many video games, I’m with you. Get them out to play sports, take them to dance practice, to piano practice, but don’t also don’t completely deprive your children from video games, especially from Mario Kart, thinking it will rot your child/children’s mind because it won’t, as long as you monitor, and balance their playing time.

At age eighteen, I am a full-time college student, with a scholarship, and I grew up doing homework then playing hours of Mario Kart. Of course, I did other things, such as play soccer, but I did play plenty of Mario Kart, and after reflecting for some time now, I have realized that Mario Kart taught me some of the most valuable life lessons that they did not teach me at school.

Life is not fair.

How many times were you in 1st place almost near the finish line, so close you could almost hear the *ring* that come along with it, and then you got hit by one of those spiny flying blue shells, only to see the person that you were seconds in front of, take first, and you took 3rd, possibly even 5th in a close race

It takes one error to take you all the way down to last place

You’re drifting in the last turn of the course, you see the banana up ahead, you hit the banana, spin uncontrollably, go off the tracks, fall so deep into the abyss that Lakitu has to lift you back on the track, and you magically land in 8th place.

Tell the difference between right and wrong before you make your choice

“Yes! Item box!”, you said, “...” , it was a fake.

Don’t depend on materialistic things

Last lap, and you’re in second place. Oh! Real item box? Alright! Red Shells? Great! except you launched it straight into a banana, and ended in 2nd.

Diversity is important

Playing in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, you have the ability to pair up in teams. You can choose Donkey Kong, and Diddy Kong, but you’ll be stuck with just banana as special items. One of the keys to victory is being well-rounded. Having diversity. I choose Donkey Kong and Toad, who do you choose?

Never quit, always cross the finish line

Okay you’re having a bad race, you’re all the way in 8th while your friends landed in the top 5. Cross the finish line, even if it takes a minute. Actually, the game won’t continue until all the players cross the finish line. You’ll get them next time. Even when you’re a whole lap behind, finish the race.

Always expect the unexpected

Sure, you’re in first place right now, but don’t think someone won’t send a spiky flying blue shells. Or that a Bullet-Bill won’t take you out. Oh, and don’t forget about Bowser’s Castle Thwomps, those crush... seriously they do, stay away, and aware.

You don’t always need “items” to win

Seriously, try it.

Twisters can actually pick up cars

Okay, okay, maybe this isn’t a “life-lesson” but I never knew it was true until I watched in in real life!

Don’t worry about quicksand

Another “Non-Life-Lesson” but still, c’mon, don’t pretend quick-sand wasn’t a fear of yours growing up. It was so much a fear to me that I had already created the situation in my head countless times to know exactly what to do if I even stumbled in quick-sand, or drove into it. Just relax, and wait for Lakitu to come get me. Right, guys? Right?

Skills, not who you are, gets you the win

We used to argue so much about who got to be who, that before the cartridge was actually in the system, we were already calling “dibs” on characters. Years later I realized you can win with any character, as long as you’re a good drive.

Just because you’re fast doesn’t mean you’ll will

You have the Golden Mushroom? That’s okay, I’m still in 1st.

Don’t fall for your own traps

So you got the fake item box? Hurray! (you have arguably one of the most useless items. Experience Kart-stars know that placing them randomly doesn’t help, you need to place them right on, or right behind real ones) Except that now, after only one lap, you forgot where you placed it, and ran right into it blowing your lead.

Even though big scary things knock you out, you will be able to get up

From Thwomps, to Whomps, to Wigglers, to Bloopers, to Bob-ombs, to Bullet-Bills, to Chain-Chomps, to the Piranha-plants called Packun Flowers, to Pokeys, you always get back to on your feet… well wheels.

You can slip on bananas

Believe it or not. Take my word for it, don’t try it.

Falling off the road doesn’t mean you automatically lose

Countless times I’ve fell over two times in a race (while racing at the 150 cc level), and still managed to be in the top three, or two.

Don’t think the moments where you’re untouchable will last forever

Whether you call them Super Stars, Stars, Starmen, or Invincibility Stars, we all love them; however, don’t think they’ll last forever.

Don’t be competitive all the time, enjoy the ride

Winning is great, but sometimes it’s good to take 8th, and make life living hell for those in 1st. There’s a myriad of ways to enjoy the game, winning isn’t the only one.

Never give up hope

Even if you are ten seconds behind 7th place, never lose hope. There’s still a chance, that you’ll come on out on the top 4.

Power-hunger is dangerous

Golden Mushrooms are amazing but dangerous. Pressing the button repeatedly as fast as you can will get you to reach maximum speed, but can also make you forget to stir, which we know how dangerous that is (specially in Rainbow Road).

Penguins, fishes (cheep cheeps), and cows, are the worst

They always slip-and-slide on their bellies, and never fail to smack you into freezing water where you temporarily turn into a glacier. They act like dolphins, and cause spin-outs. Cows well you know, block your way with their Greenhouse gases, and thickness in Moo Moo Farm.

Bats are not only real, but they scare like no other

Remember that mansion thingy in Banshee Boardwalk, and that bats it had that charged straight at you unexpectedly? Well now I know to stay away from bats.

Don't get in Pokey situations

Avoid the Pokeys, you know, those desert creatures that look like a combination of caterpillars, and those inflatable dancing stick mans.

Short-cuts are great

Got any good ones? Tell us about them!

Know when to be careful

If its one thing  the tracks of Mario Kart 64 Rainbow Road, Yoshi Valley, Banshee Boardwalk, Bowser’s Castle, and Skyscraper taught me was to know when to be careful.

Keep your eyes on the road

For all those now drive, tell me, what did Toad’s Turnpike teach you? Yeah, exactly. Eyes on the road, at all times.

Luck does exist

If it doesn’t, tell me, did you magically tell the item box to give you the Triple Red Shells that took you from 4th to 1st, and win the race in the last lap?

You can be famous, yet be unpopular

We all know that Mario, and Luigi, are the most famous characters, but how many times do you actually choose them? Yeah, that right, you go with Toad, Shy Guy, Dry Bones, Waluigi, and those Koopas.

Do, and use, everything to get in front of the race

Be a heartbreaker, throw all the arsenal into the race.

People will do anything to bring you down

Once, I was struck by lightning, hit by a Bullet-Bill, had a Bowser Shell crush me, and ultimately, had a Chain-Chomp knock me off into lava, all caused my siblings.

Being the center of attention isn’t always a good idea

We all know what happens to you when you are in 1st in the last lap.

Everyone wants to be 1st at least one

We don’t just play to have fun, we play to win! At least once if you’re my youngest sister.

Things do go wrong  

Don’t expect to go a lap without any disaster in your way.

When things go wrong, its easy to blame others… don’t

Remember, its all love and war. Except when you really need that 1st place in order to win 1st in the Grand Prix, and then don’t get it. Then you can blame others.

Money is nice, but it won’t ever give you what you want

Remember those coins in the SNES version? Yeah, worst item ever. Money stinks.

The race isn’t over till it’s over

I believe in you, 5th place!

Just because you’re small doesn’t mean you can’t win

Don’t underestimate the little guys *cough cough* (Baby Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Baby everybody, Diddy Kong, Toadette, Bowser Jr., etc. etc)

Cheater do win sometimes

Remember that glitch in Mario Kart 64 in the Rainbow Road? Where you hit the R-Button and jump from one part of the road into the other? Yeah, that’s how I won most of the time in that track.

You always have a shot at winning

Once again, don’t lose hope.

Don't be afraid to ask for help

Lakitu will always be there to help.

Too much, too soon… yeah, it’s true

3, 2, 1 and you can’t advance because you held the acceleration button for too long.

If you don’t get it the first time, keep trying till you do

The Rainbow Road glitch? Yeah, took me two days worth of playing to actually master. Let alone Rainbow Road itself.

Lightning can strike twice

Don’t believe me? Ask anyone in 1st place.

and the three most important:

Sometimes, you’re your own worst enemy

Green Shells.

Worry about yourself, not others

We all had those moments where we felt like we were racing like we have never have before… then you realize you were actually looking at the wrong screen.

We are all different, and that’s great

How touching is that? Think about it, there’s no discrimination in Mario Kart. Some of us are Dinosaurs, some of us are Apes, some of us are bones, some human, and even some ghost, but at the end of the day, we all look past that. Even though we are all different, we should all love each other like the Mario Kart crew.

Actually, I lied. This is the most important lesson I ever learned from Mario Kart:

In Mario Kart, just like in life, things are better when you play all together.

Sometimes, feelings get crushed, controllers go flying, a tear is shed here, and there., crossing the finish line is accompanied by shouts, but that’s okay. We all know its just a game (except for many the little ones). I know, I am not the only one that recalls sitting down as a family, whether it was with your biological family or with friends you consider family, to play Mario Kart. Those were the best of times, and will continue to be some of the fondest memories someone of us will have.