I am so obsessed with Risk that it borders on the insane. I spend hours plotting over strategy and mulling over how to defend the Balkans and how to attack Siberia. War is extremely personal for me, and Risk scares me because it mimics a lot of what happened in WWI, WWII, the nuclear arms race, and to a lesser extent, regional conflicts in Africa and Asia. Humans are probably at our most stable point right now, but the idea that things can topple so quickly (WWI and WWII) is frightening and too real. The part of Risk that freaks me out the most are armies amassing across from each other, and this brings to mind border conflicts such as India/Pakistan, North/South Korea, etc.For anyone who knows me, I'm absolutely crazy when it comes to games. Risk is especially bad because I get so involved that it takes me three months to calm down after one game. Three of us started an online game at 11PM last night and finished at 8PM tonight. I literally spent every available brain cell mulling over which territories to conquer. This happens in every game, but I have an insatiable desire to win (or not lose), more than anyone else I know. Board games are my heroin. Instead of studying, I fight imaginary wars.
Give me any game and I will fight to the death, whether it's Uno or Risk. How do I regulate my constant state of emotional overdrive? While it might be helpful in an actual war when the objective is to annihilate the opposition, my rational side is screaming at me to find a balance, or better yet, veer completely to the side of reason for everything else. If I could funnel 1/100 of the enthusiasm I have for games towards my career, I could be Bill Gates by now. That explains so much, but it's time to tone down the intensity and carry on.
