Nerves and Free Runners

Guts. Just a lot of guts.

Man, I’m behind on my posting. I’m trying to get back to having something up every Tuesday and Friday, but time is a real deal-breaker.

Anyways, I finally found a job. I know it was only two weeks, but when you’ve worked since you were 13, two weeks can seem like eons. It’s funny, though. I’m now on day four of training to work as a Search Engine Marketer, but I’m still nervous. This is crazy because I know I have nothing to be so neurotic about.

While I was unemployed, I started playing Assassin’s Creed 2 (between checking job listings, of course). The acrobatics in the game truly astound me. All graphics and coding aside, you really have to hand it to the free runners that provided the basis for Ezio’s wall-scaling feats. Seriously, how do they do it? Are they completely fearless? Do they have something to prove?

After spending some time unemployed, I can’t help wondering if people with awesome resumes are the free runners of the business world. There are a few ways that these groups are similar:

• They impress everyone with their dynamic and almost unbelievable abilities.
• They sail past obstacles.
• Unless you’re in either of these groups, you have to wonder how they got to where they are.

Think about it: what makes a guy get up in the morning and say, “I think I’ll learn how to jump between two buildings,” and/or, “Today seems like a good day to give up the legal profession and go into IT.” It’s incredible, and it takes a lot of nerves.

Damn, I want to be a free runner.

You Can’t Kill All Life’s Problems

Seriously, you're going to walk up to a guy that's armed to the teeth and beg for money? Are you insane?

 

So I’m finally playing Assassin’s Creed. Yes, the first one. I was going to start with the sequel, but my roommate–let’s call him R– told me I’d enjoy the game more if I first got into Altair and his mess of a world. 

After watching both him and my boyfriend play Assassin’s Creed II, I’m beginning to think what R was talking about is Ezio’s world without beggars that block your escape, random drunk guys who accost you and people who won’t get out of your way who are carrying random breakables. (Seriously, if you were carrying a Ming vase and you saw someone being chased by the cops, would you stand in that guy’s way?) 

So like any Ninja Gaiden player, I tried killing all these problematic NPCs. Collateral damage, right? I mean, that happens when you’re trying to save the world. It didn’t work. In fact, my plan had the complete opposite effect of what I wanted. The guards flipped, the people panicked, and the next thing I knew, 20 armed and angry guys surrounded Altair. There’s only so much blocking you can do! 

I really thought my plan to cull the beggar, drunk and stupid populations would work. It’s the middle of a Crusade, after all, and these people are liabilities. They all have something to lose that can be used against them and, ultimately, the kingdom. It’s in the interest of national security to round them up, but no one wants me to do it. 

I get so frustrated with these NPCs that I often take long breaks from Assassin’s Creed. The game reminds me of work: Oh, sure, there are some processes, some duties that could be done away with, and no one would notice. But everyone will fight you. At some point, you have to wonder if it’s worth it. Even if what you’re planning would improve everything, even if it would save money that’s definitely needed elsewhere, if you alienate yourself, what do you have left? You won’t want to be at work anymore. You won’t have anyone to eat lunch with, get information from, or sign off on your requests. Talk about being surrounded and unable to defend yourself. 

I’m not an advocate of giving up, but carefully choosing one’s battles isn’t a bad idea.