Welcome to this twenty-seventh day of October, 2014. I’m John “Boomjack” Hoskin and this is Here Comes The Boom – EP #26.
For Canadians, the unthinkable happened last week and our friends, especially our American friends, showed us their support.
Memories and Moments
I’m a hockey coach. This year I am fortunate enough to be able to work with an incredible group of young ladies known as the Bearcats. One of the first philosophies that I attempt to deliver is that there are incredible similarities between what it takes to be an excellent hockey player and what it takes to be an excellent human being. Both pursuits require you to be passionate, to think of others ahead of yourself, to focus, to carry a positive attitude and so much more.
These building blocks of success are formed over dozens of hours of practice and play, but the fact of the matter is that there are distinct moments when these epiphanies happen, when the clouds part, when the light goes on over the player’s head and they suddenly “get it”.
Those moments are magical or perhaps in some cases, surreal.
Canada had one of those moments last week. A terrorist murdered an unarmed soldier standing watch over our national war memorial. It was the act of a coward, meant to create fear and generate panic, but in that moment, that terrible, horrific moment the magic that true gamers (and not the GamerGate miscreants) feel when they play games with their friends was magnified a thousand fold as citizens ran forward, towards the shooting, putting themselves in harm’s way to help…a fallen soldier.
“Such loving attention, at a time when the scene was still in chaos and it was unknown how many shooters there might be, said so much more than the thousands of words we have heard. Even in the shadow of the young corporal’s death, it is not too much to say that this was a very gratifying moment — a tragic moment, but one worth honouring. All Canadians immediately recognized the actions of the corporal’s final companions as an example of how people should act at such a time, how we would wish to have acted. And how, heaven forbid, we may wish to be treated if it was us laying on that sacred ground, breathing our last breaths.” – Rex Murphy (National Post)
As a country we were moved by the people who in that “moment” did what was right.
And… we were moved again when our best friends showed their support.
This story, this act…is much bigger than gaming, but we have our own moments and our own group who have taken our name, “gamers” and tarnished it by harassing women (and men), doxing celebrities and even forcing planes into emergency landings. They are few and they are misguided, but like the spoiled child at the toy store they will throw tantrums hoping to be heard. They are the terrorist and it is time for the rest of us to be the citizens that put ourselves in harm’s way to stand up for what is right.
This is your moment. It is what you make of it.
Now on to something more entertaining
Vin Diesel Fact: Vin Diesel can cut through a knife with hot butter.
- Exclusive Marvel Heroes 2015 Interview with David Brevik
- SWTOR Shadow of Revan Preview
- What will become of WildStar?
- 2014 BlizzCon WCS Preview Series
- MTG Pro Calls Out Hearthstone Champs
Because the real world is usually more humorous than the virtual one. Here are some real world stories. You can’t make this stuff up.
- From the We-Need-Bruce-Willis-Dept. – Asteroid Approaching Earth
- From the Low-Speed-Chase-Dept. – CHP Pursues Golf Cart into Ditch
- From the Nothing-Swerves-Like-A-Deere-Dept. - DUI On A Lawnmower
If you received even an iota of enjoyment from this then please support both myself and TenTonHammer by doing one of more of the following:
- Read my previous columns
- HCTB 25: Winners and Losers – Iron Tide
- HCTB 24: First World Gamer Problems
- HCTB 23: Strongbad is Back
- HCTB 22: Free Steam Keys
- HCTB 21: Destiny Bounty Guides
- HCTB 20: Destiny Video Farming Guides
- HCTB 19: Casino Cave Closed
- HCTB 18: Why Light Is Important in Destiny
- HCTB 17: Do You Like Green Engrams?
- HCTB 16: Destiny Is A Nursery Rhyme
- HCTB 15: Is This My Destiny?
- HCTB 14: Censored
- HCTB 13: Hype and Hope
- HCTB 12: Irritated by Ice Bucket Challenge
- HCTB 11: Censored
- HCTB 10: I Got Fireflied
- HCTB 9: Gaming Junkets, Do We Need Them?
- HCTB 8: Need For Speed or Gaming Gourmand
- HCTB 7: Every Breath You Take
- HCTB 6: Dear LPBs and Twitch
- HCTB 5: Comments
- HCTB 4: If MMO Fans Were World Cup Fans
- HCTB 3: Censored
- HCTB 2: Censored
- HCTB 1: EA vs Activision
- Follow me on Twitter (@BoomjackTTH)
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- Comment below (even a “this sucks” will do)
Thanks again. I appreciate your support. Who’s awesome? You’re awesome!
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