Collecting is one of those topics that either sparks a nostalgic feeling in your gut or brings on visions of TLC’s horrifically sad show about hoarders from around the globe.

But what actually separates a hoarder and a collector? I feel like for myself, it’s a pretty thin line. I’ve jokingly called myself an “organized hoarder” among friends and family, but all jokes aside, it can become an unhealthy addiction.

Most of my experience in collecting comes in the form of what people are calling “Retro Video Games” these days. Some of my earliest memories in life are sitting on the floor with my Dad playing Super Mario Bros on the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES for short. For some reason my Grandfather decided that the NES was an appropriate gift for a 1 year old. But I genuinely think of him all the time due to that blunder. I never really got to know him from an adult perspective because he lived halfway across the country and passed away before I got to know him. But he jump started one of my most nostalgic hobbies in life and I’ll always remember him for it. Nostalgia has been discussed at nausea by countless scholars, so I will save you the time! But, it pulls at me in ways that I really hadn’t imagined as a child. I’m finding myself looking back to my childhood and remembering the toys, games, and culture that has since made it’s way into the endless landfills of the Greater New York City area. It’s inescapable for me, but I love it. It makes me feel like I will always have a root planted in the ground no matter where I end up.

I think that a separate post will be in order, but as an adult I’ve struggled with my health. I’m an outdoorsman. I hunt, fish, hike, rock climb, swim, and run. You could give me a stick and a rock and I’d love my life just as much as I do now. Unfortunately for me, that was my biggest mistake. My college campus was nestled into a gorgeous valley in Northern New Jersey. I spent A LOT of time exploring the woods and lakes that it had to offer. Gravely, so do a lot of mostly unseen prehistoric parasitic insects. Namely, ticks. And even more specifically, the deer tick. I will go into more detail in a future article, but long story short, I ended up contracting Lyme Disease along with Bartonella and Mycoplasma. All three are tick born diseases that we unfortunately know very little about. Doctors are baffled by these diseases because western medicine is not equipped to deal with anything that can’t be cured by a pill. Despite the diseases that were slowly and unknowingly damaging my health, I always came back to one thing that would always keep my mental health in tact. Video Games.

I know. NERD! Yep. That’s me and I will be the first to admit it. Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s was a pretty wild time. Everyone played Nintendo, but they didn’t want to admit it. Even entering college, if you mentioned you played games, people immediately judged you. It still amazes me how far we’ve come since then. Gaming is now over a billion dollar industry. We even have competitive professional video game teams and players from around the world that play for actual legitimate money! It’s come a long way since the days of playing Kirby’s Dreamland in daycare after school, but we are here and Video Games are more popular than ever before.

It has become a staple in my life for good. Am I stressed out today because of work or my health? Of course! Who isn’t or wouldn’t be. I don’t turn to drugs or alcohol to solve that problem. I look at my library of games and a flood of amazing memories floods my mind. It’s like opening a door to a locked box inside my subconscious brain that drowns out the daily meshugas of life. I’m immediately and brought into Hyrule or The World of Balance where I can enjoy the problems of others in an attempt to shut off my own brain. It’s what makes playing Video Games so powerful.

But, collecting. Oh yeah. That’s what this article is supposed to be about. Or is it? I guess that’s for me to figure out isn’t it…

Have a wonderful day everyone!

-Sean