Worms World Party

I'll bet you thought this was going to be one of the zanier posts, didn't you? Well zany, yes, but not zaniest. And it does have a point to it. Really!

The title of this blog post refers to a series of games called "Worms." The games were created by a software company called Team17. They're over in Great Britain, which explains a lot about the game (no offense intended to any British reading this). Basically, you control a team of cute, cartoony worms that go around with bazookas, grenades, machine guns, exploding sheep, etc, trying to blow each other up.

I was introduced to the series many years ago, before I was married, with "Worms 2." A year or two later, I purchased "Worms Armageddon," which was the latest version (at the time). I used to play with Susie once in a while after we got married. However, we were both a bit less mature than we are now, and the games weren't particularly fun.

I ditched the game (along with all of the rest of my collection) about five years ago in the first of my computer game purges. A few months later, I downloaded the trial version of "Worms World Party" at work. But I hadn't touched the game since then.

Until tonight.

Curiously enough, Susie was the one that suggested it. We have both had a DAY with the kids (you parents know what I mean), and a word game just wasn't going to cut it tonight. Sometimes you just need to blow things up. And what better target than cute, cartoony worms?

I was able to locate the same trial version that I downloaded five years ago, and we played it tonight. And we both had a blast (pun intended)! Susie also thinks that Esther would enjoy the game. I agree. Such a game would be just her thing, especially since she seems to share a lot of my characteristics. I think Jayson would enjoy it too.

Susie is on the phone right now, so I made an executive decision and purchased it. I could have gotten it straight from Team17 on CD, but the shipping was a lot. I was able to get it from an online download site for only a few dollars more, and the game will be available now (it's at 68% downloaded at the moment).

So why the long ramble about a computer game? Well first, it is my blog, so I can ramble however I feel like, thank you very much. ;) Secondly, I really enjoy the game. It's amazing how fast the controls, weapons, and strategy came back to me.

But most importantly, the game is indicative of how much Susie and I have grown and healed, both individually and in our relationship with each other. We can play the game and enjoy both it and each other's company. We couldn't do that five years ago. It is delightful for me to see. It is also enjoyable for me to be able to share a good game with Susie. For better or worse, computer games are a part of my life, and it's nice to be able to share that portion of my life with my wife (hey, that rhymed).

I'm remembering that growth in emotions or in a relationship is like physical growth in a child. Although it is hard to see when you compare one day to another, it is still there. And when you look back over a longer period, the growth is easy to see.

Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to go. A cute, cartoony worm is crawling in my direction, and I think he's holding a flamethrower.