I remember how my boys came in contact with their first video game. It was ..... Well read on.
Christmas was coming fast. I had searched the mall to find the last of our gifts. Shopping with three boys along "to help" was always interesting. They wanted to be sure I noticed the latest Star Wars toys. They had been through the Sears catalog, watched all the tv commercials, and shared ideas with friends to develope long lists for Santa. Santa had put those items in his bag & they would be coming by sleigh.
This final shopping trip was to Belk's department store. They had been on their very best behavior. This was hard because the store was filled with tired parents and tired children. It helped that Santa was watching to see who was naughty or nice. The slow moving checkout line seemed endless.
When what should we behold ..... Was it Sants & his reindeer. No! It was Pac Man.
Yes Belk's had the wonderful idea of entertaining the children of Rock Hill by setting up a Pac Man game near the checkout line. Near, but not close enough to interfere with its slow progress. Every parent and every child could hear that unique sound of the game. It was a magnet for my boys.
My older boys pleaded, "Please can we go see. Please! We will stay right there and won't go anywhere else. Please! We have been good. Please! "
And they had been good. I knew they wouldn't go anywhere. I would be lucky if I could get them to come home. What's a mom going to say?
"Ok, if you stay right here and hold Christopher's hand." (This is something I would not do today.)
I watched them as the line advanced, slowly. Finally I gathered my packages and made my way past other people's children to collect mine.
Let's go guys."
Matt and Andy wanted to tell me how cool the game was, but where was Chris. As I looked at other little fellas dressed in similar jackets I could not find my four year old. He always stayed with his brothers. Most likely another child trying to get close to the game moved between the boys. If he had been as tall as his brothers, his view of the game might have been better. Plus at his age, it didn't seem interesting. Something nearby may have caught his attention or he may have wanted to find me so we could head home.
I began to search nearby. I called his name. No Chris. I asked for help. We could not find him anywhere in the store. People continued to look. We walked into the mall looking in nearby stores. It was not a big mall, but big enough. I began to think of the stores where we had shopped and the ones Chris liked most.
Toys were off the route he might take, but around the corner to the first store on the right. Yes, we looked through the door. He was sitting on a seat at Baskin Robbins. His little feet swinging back and forth.... Waiting for an ice cream.
Lesson: Video games can be dangerous if parents don't supervise properly.
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