The Secret History of Me and My Video Games: Monkey Business

Video games have always been a part of my life. When I look back, they were present at many seminal moments in my life. This is one of them.

When I spent my summers at home during university, I used to organize concerts with local bands. Not that we ever had a much of an audience, but it was an excuse for all of us to get together and play music in a public setting.

In my third year of doing this, there was a new band in town. It was a bunch of kids in grade nine, but they looked up to us university kids, so we let them play at our shows. At the end of the summer, I hosted a party at my house. To my surprise the kids turned up. Apparently, someone invited them because they were in one of the bands, not thinking that I didn’t want 14 year olds drinking in my house.

Unhappy as I was, I let them stay, because I was 14 once, and going to older dudes parties was awesome. That said, a bunch of other kids caught wind of what was going on and thought they could get in as well. At one point, half drunk, I went into the family to see a dozen youngins playing video games. I went crazy.

“Get the fuck out of my house!”

I probably could have used more tact, because one of them ran off with my copy of Super Monkey Ball 2. They didn’t even take the case, just the disc! I was never able to track it down. Fucking kids!

Fast forward three years.

My girlfriend and I were living together. I was working at a call center, and was pretty bummed out by the perspective of her going to Saskatchewan for two weeks for her sister’s wedding. I was going to be working late nights with no one at home when I got off at 2am.

On the day before she left, she handed me a copy of Super Monkey Ball 2. “For when you’re bored,” she said.

I was a little stunned. I have no idea that she even knew I had a copy stolen or that I liked the game so much. I must have mentioned it in passing and it stuck with her. What a gal!

I would end up marrying that same girl, although for many more reasons than that. I still have that game. It’s the only Gamecube game I still own.