Xbox Kinect Brings Out Competitive Natures

My husband is a gamer. Video games, computer games, phone apps, it doesn't matter; Larry would play them all 24/7 if given the opportunity. And if he got paid for it, I would let him indulge himself about 22/5. Sometimes Larry would very much like for ME to play a particular game or two with him, and he pesters me until I agree to at least try. The problem with a husband who is an avid gamer is that he tends to be automatically better at every game than me. He wins practically every game we ever play.

Now, a very smart man would know that a spouse is not going to continue to play a game they keep losing horrifically. But my husband's natural competitiveness prevents him from even pretending to make mistakes that might result in Happy Wife Syndrome(a combination of symptoms which make said wife feel somewhat romantic toward her spouse). As a result of this, it's a BIG deal when I beat my husband at any game. When I checkmated Larry at computer chess, for instance, I actually had to call my dad(who taught me how to play) and tell him the good news, conveniently forgetting to mention the 372 games that Larry had won prior to that.

Now we have a Kinect. For those of you living under a rock, the Kinect is Microsoft's answer to the Wii, except there is nothing to hold in your hand and accidentally hurl at the television set. The whole reason that we got the Kinect was for the exercise programs, since we both need to get off our backsides and move around a lot more. One of the games has bowling, and you can play against the computer or against an opponent. Larry suggested a game, I agreed, and selected bowling because I thought this game offered the least embarrassment potential. I can sort of bowl in real life, after all.

To my surprise, I started off getting four strikes in a row during the first game, then five strikes in a row during the second. I actually whomped my husband at this game! Larry was a bit upset, so I didn't make too big a deal about it, but inside I was doing a serious victory dance, cartwheels, backflips, and anything else I could think of to celebrate. It was as if, for the very first time in the history of our relationship, it was a even playing field.

I think I am going to like this Kinect.