One thing that is going to change when the baby comes along is that I'm going to lose my study (really just a computer on a desk), as it's the only other 'bedroom' in the house that has an air conditioner and considering that whole week we had temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, I wouldn't want to have my child getting too hot next summer. We do have another bedroom, but with the double bed in there for guests, there's no room to fit a desk.
On top of this, it made me realise that I'm also not going to have any time to play computer games much any more with a bouncing baby in the house. I do know of a couple of fathers who still play computer games but, to be perfectly honest about it, I notice that their down time comes at the expense of time with their children or friends. One guy I know even goes so far as to say to his stay at home wife that he's "had a long hard day at work and deserves some personal time".
I don't know all the background to their situation, perhaps he's helping out at home every other night of the week, but I don't ever want my wife to feel like I'm home and not available to be involved.
That was when I realised that my whole life is going to change for the next 20 to 25 years at least. When I take stock of all of my old computer games and gaming systems I realise that, for the most part, the next time I might really be able to sit down and play any of them I'll be approaching 50!
Ignoring the distinct possibility that some or all of the equipment might cease to work without some kind of overhaul after that time, I'm not sure I want to be playing Mario Kart when I'm pushing 50.
That's why I've made a rather big decision, one that I never thought I'd ever make (especially without any sort of ultimatum from my wife), I'm going to put all of my games and gaming systems for sale on eBay.
It just occurred to me that my children aren't going to be interested in playing such old games when their friends will probably all be playing the X-Box 5 or the PlayStation 10 by then and for me to hang onto them on the off chance that I may get around to playing them again some time is just stupid.
This isn't a criticism of guys who've still got all their old games from when they were 10 years old, it's just that I see these games and honestly think that my time and attention will be better spent on getting high scores in real life, by leveling up in real life and not by being the best in a digital world where only people over 30 who happen to have played those specific games (and can remember them!) can appreciate what that meant.
There are so many things that I need to do in order to improve myself for my career and my home that I can't be sitting down and chilling out playing old games for hours on end. The common feeling I get with playing these old games is that it's great to begin with, but then the feeling that I've already accomplished those things creeps back in and I lose interest about 90% of the way through.
I'm thinking that the money I raise from the sale of my games can go towards the baby, but having looked at the cost of most of my games online (anywhere between $5 and $100), I don't think I'll be fully paying for my child's University degree, but it may pay for his or her first bed, desk or computer.
The added bonuses of all of this is that it'll clear out some space in my house (which will make my wife happy) and I'll have less distractions around the house, not that I play the games much anyway.
It'll be a bit of a long process to catalog the games (photograph, work out condition, etc), but I believe that it's the right step forward.
My wife will be unaware of what is going on because I know that she's always maintained that I should keep personal things, but I just feel that it's time for me to let go and do so in a way which will help us financially at the same time.
I'll may follow that up by selling my comic book collection, although I'm a little less inclined to do that because my son or daughter may be interested to read them. I know I was interested in reading all of my father's old MAD magazines, but perhaps that's just wishful thinking...
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