359/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me. This post was never supposed to happen. I rarely play tablet/phone games except for Trivia Crack and Songplay. They are fine. They have not consumed my life. I didn’t get the intrigue of any type of gaming apps until last week. I downloaded Pokemon Go. Actually, I didn’t. We didn’t have it here in Canada. I just put a random query as to how to get it and my grade 12 graduate of this year, Sam, sent me the link. I got on and I got hooked. I have never connected with random strangers in person as I have with this app. First of all, I actually want to go and walk my dog. Before this, I would hope that my children or my wife had walked him. In the last week, I have taken him – and sometimes on two walks!! I have gone up to places and when I realized that there were teenagers there Pokemon-ing, I pretended to text while in fact I’m catching one! Today was surreal. I was at elementary preschool and the little kids figured out very quickly what I was doing while waiting to let them into the school. I had a swarm around me giving me advice and what to do and what not to do. The instant connection. I have seen them for the last two weeks but this Pokemon Go phenomenon just brought me down to a relatable level for them. Then, this afternoon, I am walking through Steveston Park (with my dog Shadow) and a few teenagers are on a bench. As I approach them cell phone in hand, they immediately ask – “Pokemon Go?!” and I look up and smile and a conversation happens. This would never have happened if not for this game. I would just have passed them and they wouldn’t ever have acknowledged me but here it is – generations connecting. Plus, as alluded to earlier, I want to be out and about. On the weekend, sitting with a friend beering and I am Pokemoning and the server is all enthralled and I keep her updated as to how many Pokemons I have caught (13 in a 90 minute stint at that table!!!). Yes, this gratitude post was never on my horizon but in one week, I am sparking conversations with random strangers of all ages (okay, all ages below mine) as are they with me. Thank you Pokemon Go creators for a game that allows me to be active and interactive inter-generationally with others at my age of almost 51!
randysangha 