Nintendo

When my grandkids were young, they introduced me to Nintendo while smirks, followed by frustration, crossed their faces when I couldn't get the hang of the buttons.

I quietly purchased my own set and locked myself away until I solved each of their favorite games. When next we played, I can't tell you how much pleasure it gave me to whip their little butts.

They invited classmates to challenge me and cheered me on to win in a variation of the famous boast ~ my dad can whip your dad.

They advanced to the next system and then the next but somehow those games didn't entice me like the earlier ones had. They weren't as much fun and, believe me, I'm a strong proponent of the fun which doesn't hurt anybody bloody.

Grown, these grandkids occasionally drop by to play the old system and a couple of them hope to replace their first consoles. In the meantime, we hang out in the living room laughing hysterically at Mario and a huge selection of old favorites.

Today, The Time carried news of Nintendo's coming system and a bio of its game maker. It looks more like aerobic exercise and it's bound to be easier than trying to remember which button to push without looking down just as your hero slips into the abyss.

I'll have to splurge and try to perfect my game before the kids...oh, never mind, they're probably STEPS ahead of me.