The Tip.It Times


Issue 21699gp

No More Mr. Santa Claus

Written by and edited by Kaida23

Disclaimer: This article references Christmas, but rest assured that the choice of holiday carries no religious significance.

I would like to start by warmly wishing each and every one of you a joyful, safe, and pleasant holiday season. That special time of the year has arrived, that period of a few weeks where the level of animosity in the air is reduced and good cheer is abound. Incidentally, this sort of behavior should be expected at all times of the year, but I'll take it for what it's worth.

I, like many others, fondly remember the days of Christmas through the eyes of a carefree child: singing carols before they became annoying, decorating the Christmas tree before it became too much of a hassle, genuine presents in stockings before gift cards became the norm. And, of course, the classic yearly adventure of Christmas Eve: staying up to see elusive Mr. Santa Claus. Unfortunately, that era of my life has ended, never to be experienced again. Nowadays, even if I wanted to see Mr. Santa Claus, it wouldn't possess that certain magical feeling—probably because staying up until midnight isn't a particularly difficult feat anymore.

It occurs to me that this outcome was inevitable, for we cannot remain children forever. In this manner, carols become ear sores, Christmas lights become unwanted dust collectors, and the once innocent video game, which was my dear companion, now has lost its playful charm.

Mind you, this does not necessarily mean that RuneScape is no longer fun for me. No, I still enjoy RuneScape greatly, but the nature of the enjoyment has shifted to a more mature feeling.

No longer can I spend hours walking from one corner of the world to the other. Teleporting is obviously a superior method of transportation.

No longer do I bother to make everything myself. I utilize the market economy and waste far less time.

No longer do I attempt to interact with strangers. They're probably idiots.

No longer can I endlessly slaughter Hill Giants wearing nothing better than Mithril. After all, every monster I kill while not on a Slayer task is just wasted XP because I will get combat XP on my way to 99 Slayer. Even though I will never reach 99 Slayer. Hey, it's the thought that counts, right?

And you know what? Who cares about childlike innocence?! In fact, I am glad I am not ignorant enough to toil for hours and hours more than necessary. So what if I enjoyed those myriad hours Mining my own ore and Smithing my own armor! Today, I have the capital and foresight to simply buy my own armor, all the better to quickly plunge into my next dreadfully boring activity.

What does it matter that I had some of the best memories of my RuneScape career killing those Hill Giants with my friend? The Evolution of Combat just got released, the abilities are flashy and the numbers are big. Everyone loves flashy moves and fancy numbers, right?

It simply does not matter that I do not interact with strangers anymore, even though one of the most amazing people I have ever met (a proud Frenchman) started off as one of those very same strangers. I still have my established circle of friends, and only 70% of them are retired, so usually someone I know is online. Every couple of weeks, I even get to have a conversation with one of them! …Hmm, I do wonder what happened to that Frenchman… I want to get in touch with him again…

For me, the holiday season represents a significant amount of glorious free time because I am not tied up with unnecessary obligations to a mythical figure—for me, Mr. Santa Claus is dead.

Why does my life feel so empty?


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Tags: Holiday Nostalgia Real Life

Will you use Menaphos to train your skills?



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