Just One of Those Days
If you're anywhere near my age, you probably have very fond memories of rainy days in elementary school, where you were allowed to play Oregon Trail on the computer, right? You know, the game that disguised math skills and history with a twist?
A couple of months ago I was at my parents' house and had nothing to read because I had forgotten to bring a book. My sister was nice enough to have left one of her books there - a collection of essays called "I Was Told There'd Be Cake" by Sloane Crosley. One of the essays was called "Bring Your Machete to Work Day" and had this excerpt:
Like a precursor to the Sims, you were allowed to name your wagoneers and manipulate their destinies. It didn't take me long to employ my powers for evil. I would load up the wagon with people I loathed, like my math teacher. Then I would intentionally lose the game, starving her or fording a river with her when I knew she was weak. The program would attempt an intervention, informing me that I had enough buffalo carcass for one day. One more lifeless caribou would make the wagon too heavy, endangering the lives of those inside. Really now? Then how about three more? How about four? Nothing could stop this huntress of the diminutive plains. It was time to level the playing field between me and the woman who called my differential equations "nonsensical" in front of fifteen other teenagers. Eventually a message would pop up in the middle of the screen, framed in a neat box: MRS. ROSS HAS DIED OF DYSENTERY. This filled me with glee.
Yeah, there are a few people right now in my life I wouldn't mind loading up into a wagon and having them sink as they tried to cross the river. Or come down with a case of smallpox. I'm not picky at this point.
So how about you? Did you love this game when you were little and forced to either play this or Lemonade Stand? Did you too, name your players after your friends and take pleasure in having them starve?
Oh, I'm the only one? Okay then... :)
A couple of months ago I was at my parents' house and had nothing to read because I had forgotten to bring a book. My sister was nice enough to have left one of her books there - a collection of essays called "I Was Told There'd Be Cake" by Sloane Crosley. One of the essays was called "Bring Your Machete to Work Day" and had this excerpt:
Like a precursor to the Sims, you were allowed to name your wagoneers and manipulate their destinies. It didn't take me long to employ my powers for evil. I would load up the wagon with people I loathed, like my math teacher. Then I would intentionally lose the game, starving her or fording a river with her when I knew she was weak. The program would attempt an intervention, informing me that I had enough buffalo carcass for one day. One more lifeless caribou would make the wagon too heavy, endangering the lives of those inside. Really now? Then how about three more? How about four? Nothing could stop this huntress of the diminutive plains. It was time to level the playing field between me and the woman who called my differential equations "nonsensical" in front of fifteen other teenagers. Eventually a message would pop up in the middle of the screen, framed in a neat box: MRS. ROSS HAS DIED OF DYSENTERY. This filled me with glee.
Yeah, there are a few people right now in my life I wouldn't mind loading up into a wagon and having them sink as they tried to cross the river. Or come down with a case of smallpox. I'm not picky at this point.
So how about you? Did you love this game when you were little and forced to either play this or Lemonade Stand? Did you too, name your players after your friends and take pleasure in having them starve?
Oh, I'm the only one? Okay then... :)
posted by ColeyMarie | 2:15 AM
5 Comments:
oh i hated oregon trail. i was never any good and our school didn't have much money so we had to share computers. boo! :)
I loooved Oregon Trail! The history dork in me thought it was the coolest thing ever.
I also love the historicalness of the time as well!
I also adored Oregon Trail. It was either that or Carmen San Diego, which was also awesome by the way. A girl who is now my friend used to create a character after me and do thinks like put snakes in my bed and rub salt in my wounds. And yes, like me she's a redhead. Go figure, right?
Things, not "thinks." And I'm going to be a journalist... sheesh.
HELLS YES! OREGON TRAIL!!! And ya, I totally put my friends on my wagon and then bahaha'd loudly when they inevitably died of a snake bite.
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