Hi, everybody. (shuffles feet and looks down while twisting a tissue into shreds), *gulp* my name is Joria and I'm an addict. It all started with a mild interest when my little granddaughter played some sort of Sims game on a game console. It looked mildly interesting and she was quite taken with it. Since she's seriously adhd anything that kept her still and quiet for five minutes was good. Then a long hiatus with a few people in my life playing the occasional Sims game while I chatted with family and sometimes would glance their way. We had begun raising our great-granddaughter who was and is as bright and beautiful as can be. At age 3 she learned so much on my computer and was reading, writing and typing away and always wanting to play my then addiction to Ultima and Age of Empires. Eventually she got to an age where she REALLY wanted ON the pc and with two in the house it was possible. I started looking for safe stuff for her to play. At first it was mmorpg's. She started one, I joined in and she found more interest in doing photo shopping. Then Sims 2 reared it's head. I had TEN THOUSAND DOWNLOADS PEOPLE! TEN THOUSAND! I almost KILLED my pc with all the Sims 2 stuff. It was awful I tell you, awful! My family life went down hill. I lost friends. I couldn't sleep. It was Sims, Sims, Sims. *takes a drink of water and wipes tears away*
There was a light at the end of that long, dark tunnel! I had reached bottom and there was only one way to go. Up, up to the light! Reach out and find yourself, I heard. This is destroying you, I heard. Some evil being as yet unknown to me caused my pc to crash. Yes, it died. My precious was gone along with all my music, all my photos but worst of all, all my Sims! I couldn't face the tragedy any more. When I got a new pc I had sworn off Sims, yes, I actually found the courage to do it, and I did NOT install SIms2 on the new computer. *wipes eyes, smiles at applause and sounds of shock and horror* I reverted and began to play another mmorpg, but something had gone out of my life. I was merely giving lip service to game play. I knew it was wrong, but I had to do something to fill that dreadful void in my life. Then, that computer began to sputter and groan and hum and make all KINDS of hideous noises. I knew the end was at hand but did I care? No. My life was Sim free and it didn't matter if the pc died.
Then my son, my dearest, darling son, bought me a new pc. It had POWER. It had style! It had tons of space. (Ok, it wasn't Alienware but you can't have everything!) Still, something was missing. It had been a year of being Sim free. I knew I was clean and sober, wasn't I? What was this craving I still had? This urge to join in. One day my dh came home with a small, rectangular package. It was Sims 3!!! THIS! THIS WAS WHAT WAS MISSING! My life began again! My addiction began again and I DO ......NOT.......CARE! I'm a Sims addict and proud of it!!!! *sits down to sound of loud cheering*
