Story time:

Once upon a time there was this social reject. A young boy. He traveled across many lands, encountering many foes and obstacles, and was defeated at every conquest. Nobody wanted him and he didn't know why. So, he searched for dimensional realms that he had heard of, places that could take him into mysterious grounds of action and bewilderment. Many had told him to beware of the adventures to these unknown lands, and that they are filled with predators that will stop at nothing to ruin his day, or worse, to end it. Of course, the boy being stubborn and figuring he had nothing to lose, gambled his innocence of unknown possibilities and dived to an unforgettable experience.

The first world he entered, he would find people who would give him a glimpse of how to make anything his imagination could conceive, and then he would become a master at it. A house, a boat, a mansion, a flying monkey, a secret hideaway, anything! All he had to do was think it and it was there. However, the wonders of the world did not stop there, for he was captivated by the enchanted forests, the scorching fiery mountains, and the dark caves and demons within them. He stayed in this place for a very long time and met many friends along the way. However, he felt his friends start to dwindle, for they were all moving on and leaving him alone. Swept by his sadness and feeling defeated, he followed a small trail that would lead him into another realm.

This one was quite different. This one was about war and the numerous soldiers he could master. He was their king and they were his pawns. What he commanded they did. He was the master of whatever soldier he summoned. Here he would meet many friends as well, whether from the victory or defeat of the battle. He would also become more confident and more happy during this time.

Now, I wish I could give you an ending to this story. But this story is still being written because that boy is me. These realms that I've traveled in are worlds that I've seen through a screen. Video games.

Being in middle school was one of the worst parts of my maturing stages because I was incredibly naive and had a lot of growing up to do. I was bullied for my size, for the way I talked, for the way I simply just sat in my desk. I wasn't quiet and often spewed out things nobody wanted to hear. Naturally, people didn't want to be friends with me. So, I shut myself in my house, entering into servers that brought me content and acceptance. It wasn't until high school that I would start developing friendships with the people I met online.

These friendships were incredible. They were filled with hardly any judgement or betrayal… most of the time. There will always be those few rotten people who can’t let anything go well in your life, even if they’re miles away from you. But they aren’t worth the heartache when you have endless platforms to meet other people. Some of the people I have met are results of a common mistreatment from a certain person and it makes the friendship even stronger. They can even be the most different friendships you will make. I have one friend who has two children, who I play with regularly and sometimes she will even come on and play with us. I never would have imagined that being an ideal friendship of mine, but it’s never struck me as weird.

My hopes in writing this is to expose something. To help anyone out there who is like that middle school me. The online world is a scary place, and people tell you to watch your back and that every step is traceable. People will tell you that there's vicious murderers and evil psychopaths that intend to do nothing but haunt you with the fact that they gained your trust. That's all true. But what people don't normally tell you is that the online world is amazing. You'll have friends in numerous areas around the globe. I've spent hours talking to people in Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Laos, China, UK, anywhere. It's not as haunting as it seems and while you should always have approval from whatever higher power runs your household, don't be afraid to open up to the people you meet. Tell them what your city's like, tell them what you like to do for a living, have video chats, or just regular talking chats. They're people just like you and they can become some of the best friends you'll ever make.

You just have to be willing to venture. So, don't let old tales of an online friendship gone wrong stop you. If it's a new adventure you crave, or new people, simply turn on a game and watch the pixels work wonders.