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Coming Out of the Yu-Gi-Oh Closet: A College Student’s Secret Addiction
By Dan Peck a.k.a. Pook
5.03.04 Everywhere you look
these day, Yu-Gi-Oh merchandise has flooded the mainstream
market – sneakers, backpacks, action figures, and most
importantly, cards. At one time, these venues were reserved
for the classics – Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, etc. But
now, a new generation of kids gets to experience the thrill
of being completely decked-out in the latest
cartoon-inspired fashion and toys. Unfortunately, so have
I.
I’ll be blunt – I’m twenty-one
years old, and I love cartoons. I can’t get enough of
them. My friends give me a hard time about it, but in
reality, they love it too. But there is only so much of my
obsession that I can share with them, for fear of being
labeled an “outsider”, or the dreaded……“loser”. Therefore,
I have tried to keep a secret from them for nearly two
years. I lead a sort of double life – one life that is that
of an average student, the other, the role of a born
Duelist! I avidly play Yu-Gi-Oh, keeping up to date on the
latest card releases, building my deck to be as strong as it
can be. However, each of these actions must take place in
the shadows, for fear of my secret to be revealed.
I have even had to keep this
addiction from my parents. Whenever I am at home, it seems
that the newest set is always released, coincidentally. So
I have the added task of not only keeping the fact I play a
secret, but also smuggling in fresh packs of cards in my
jacket and pants pockets. Then I have the added trouble of
coming up with decent alibis for going to local
tournaments. They always seem to take place early Saturday
mornings, and my family knows that I always sleep in. I
have to make up excuses like, “I was at the gym” or “I had
to run errands”, but what I really want to say is, “I was
Dueling at the mall and loving it!” But I know that they
just won’t understand.
I have a few close friends who
know my secret. One has embraced the game, as well, so I do
not feel like a total outsider. The others just don’t
really care. It’s unbelievable Yu-Gi-Oh players don’t have
the same rights and respect as other people! Sure, I don’t
go around flaunting my Duelist tendencies, but I just want
to feel safe and accepted.
Over the past two years, my
roommates have started to pick up a few of the hints – paper
cuts, constantly shuffling things, and when I get mad, I
tend to scream, “It’s time to duel!” Usually, they just
brush it off, but I know they are looking at me, judging me,
making accusations. “Ooh, he’s a Duelist. Where’s your
deck, Duelist? Nice two-toned spiky hair, Duelist!” But I
guess I was just overreacting.
Truth be told, one of my
roommates approached me about my Dueling about a year ago,
and to my surprise, he was into it. He had never tried it
before, and he wanted me to teach him how to play. I took
him to get a starter deck (Kaiba, of course) and he and I
began to Duel once in a while. It was a secretive little
game, only when no one else was around. Until that one day,
when we were dueling in the living room, and in walked our
two other roommates and one of the roommate’s girlfriend.
We were so embarrassed. “It’s not what you think!” we
exclaimed, but they just wouldn’t listen. Nothing has been
the same since then. So here I am, still living this double life. The only time I’ve ever felt completely free was at Madison Square Garden at the World Championships last summer. There, I was so happy to see that I am not alone, and that Duelists, no matter how oppressed, can still band together, for the sake of dueling. And although it has been a rough ordeal for me, I wear my official Duelist pin with pride, because if people can’t accept me for who I am, that’s there problem. Hopefully, one day, Duelists and non-Duelists will be able to live in peace and harmony. |
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