I have low self esteem, I always have, ever since I started medication as a child. I only had one friend when I was little, and he kinda picked up that I didn’t make friends well, so one day he invited me over. At this point he had just gotten the gamecube a few months ago and the Animal Crossing game for it. Well, he invited me over one day, I had walked home from school crying and though he lived next door to me he went to a different school, a private one close by, and so him seeing me like that and not knowing what was wrong troubled him. He allowed me to cry on his shoulder and complain about what a horrible day I had. People picked on me relentlessly because I was different, and they all knew I had issues because I was on medication and purposely singled me out.

Anyways, he kinda let me cry myself out, then when he realized he was my only friend he pulled me aside to the little video game room his family had and sat me down, I will never forget what he said as the game started up.

“Here, I’ll make you on the game, and you’ll make some friends here in Roselle.”

I remember protesting, something like “Noone will like me there either, how do you know they’ll like me?”

He kinda laughed and pat my knee. “Don’t worry, they’ll like you if you talk to them and visit often.”

Well, he made the character for me and then showed me how to play, and when I couldn’t visit he played my account for me, making sure people liked me.

Ever since I’ve come to think of EVERYONE in Animal Crossing, and I mean everyone, as a friend that I’ve known forever.

Even now as I sit here and play my own Animal Crossing: Wild World game, I really can’t help but cry every now and then because these people were my first friends.

So, for everyone who says it’s just a game, it’s not, and never will be, for me.

It’s so much more than that for me, and a lot of other people.

It’s helped me cope and actually boosted my self esteem a tad bit every year.

I just wish other people understood how good this game makes me feel whenever I play it, and how much I want to cry whenever I listen to the song from the title screen.

The games have changed so much, but to me, in my heart, they don’t really change at all, still all the same basic concept.

Paying off your debt, and making friends.

It’s helped me cope in so many more ways than possible, and even saved my life a few times.

But, I guess, some people just have to experience it to understand how I feel.

I hope someone else feels this way too, it’s not just a game, it’s all of my best friends whenever I need them.