Old School

Dear Ian:
I know I have mentioned a love of video games several times before. I would explain this fascination with pixelated adventures if I knew how, but I don't. In some ways, I suppose, it would be like a fish trying to explain its love for water.

Or the Tao.

If I have to explain it to you, you won't get it. If I can explain it to you, I don't really get it. It's one of those catch-22s. More on those later, if and when I remember.

I do know that we played a heckuva lot of video games at the 7-11 when I was growing up in the Denfeld neighborhood. Back then, a quarter bought you three lives and a chance at achieving high score glory, advertised in three initials or less. Some guys were really fortunated to have cool initials. Some were not. There was always someone who thought it was really funny to list their high score as ASS.

It's really not that funny of a word. And certainly not the filthiest thing any of us ever uttered.

I always entered BOO. It was an abbreviated version of my nickname at the time: Amboo Zipcoo Pweb Xylus. Let me repeat that, my nickname, at the time was Amboo Zipcoo Pweb Xylus.

No, I don't know what it means either. But somehow, I have always managed to have one goofy nickname or another at any given time. Most of the time, friends would just shorten it to Amboo. It didn't help it to make more sense, but it made it easier to write in yearbooks.

Dear Amboo:
It was great getting to know you in Algebra this year. Have a great summer. Stay cool!

Kids two years younger than me, who didn't know your uncle Jim, would come up to me in the hall and say, "Hello, Amboo." It wasn't until I got to high school that I shook that nickname. At the moment, I can't remember what the new one was. I know that it didn't immediately become Squid or Squish. I will have to do some thinking on that and get back to you.

Anyhow. BOO was pretty easy to enter on the Tempest, Asteroid, Zoo Keeper, Mr. Do! machine. And everyone knew exactly who it was.

Temporary glory. Until someone came along with a quarter and beat it, or Fat Tom unplugged the machine and reset the high-scores.