Balancing Home Life and Gaming

It's a hard job, being responsible and keeping a hobby most people (including the Pope) find to be childish, lazy and the essence of irresponsibility. How do you balance your obligations and still find time to put in a few hours of gaming each week?

My recent marriage (July 15, 2006) has forced me to reprioritize many parts of my life. I've had to give up many things I used to enjoy as a single person. I gave them up willingly and happily. If I had to do it all over again I'd do it...even my freedom to get my game on when I wanted to. I love my wife. I love the life we've started together.

When I started loving her, however, I didn't stop loving video games. It's a constant source of tension in our household. I only play late at night when she's in bed or at times when she's not home. I don't mind this, I get my fix and I'm happy. She sometimes isn't though. Often times I find myself having to defend why I like playing video games and why I would rather do that then go to bed with her (to sleep, not have sex). I don't know how to answer that. I try to reason with her by telling her it's only a couple of times a week that I wish to stay up a little later and play a game. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes I give in and just go to bed. Other times I don't bring it up at all.

I have tried these past six months to find a balance. A balance to my responsibilities and duties as a husband and my passion for getting past that next level. I've learned that while my wife still thinks games are childish, her reason for giving me a hard time about it has little to do with that. Some nights she just needs me to lay in bed with her, if only until she falls asleep.

She needs to know that she's important to me and when I choose to play a game over being with her I basically tell her that she's not. This realization has allowed me a lot more guilt free gaming, while becoming closer with my wife.

I'm still a gamer, but I will now forever be a husband first.

Jason