remembering

    I remember sitting on the wood chips after school, flashing one card after another and grinning at the group of impressed fourth-graders gathered around my deck.  I can still feel the petite plastic figures of Mudkip and Poochyena, which were prized as gold to my friends and I.  And even though my mother always hated it, I was still obsessed with Pokemon.

    There was a certain feeling that came with Pokemon that I adored for some seemingly unapparent reason.  I was hypnotized by the gracefulness and might of the 'Legendaries', and the faithfully loving basic Pokemon that were so close to their 'trainers'.  I loved the idea of being able to catch the strange creatures in bi-colored spheres and battle other people's.  

    And I am not ashamed of the fact that I still like playing Pokemon.  In fact, last week I found myself engrossed in a battle with the Gym leader Wattson in Mauville.  My mom came into my room and said, "Rowan, I need you to put away the dishes before dinner."  After replying with "In a minute, I need to finish this battle,"  My mother shook her head and sighed, "It's like you're in fourth grade all over again."  All I could think was, "I wish."

rj