Magazine gives harsh lesson in friendship

What you read says a lot about you. Certain magazines indicate a need to be ready for a political debate, with arguments tailored to a particular political ideology. Others keep you up on the world of sports. Still others say that you have unrealistic expectations of the opposite sex.

Mine tell me I need more friends. Let me explain (I say this as if I were going to just go on some other tangent without warning).

A short time ago, I was doing some magazine shopping. I needed a magazine I hadn’t read in a while. I needed something to speak to me in a way that I hadn’t heard. Most importantly, I needed another magazine to purchase so my men’s magazine didn’t look all that creepy on its own.

Whether it helped my image, my particular choice was Nintendo Power magazine, an official publication of the video game company. I am (circle one: ashamed/proud) to admit I still play video games, and I figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to read up on how Nintendo’s new system will stack up to the XBox 360 and November’s Playstation3.

While the numerous articles and pictures of the system and launch games were persuasive, it wasn’t enough to convince me to stray from my plan — wait a year so it’s clear what system has the games I want to play, and pay a lower price for the system because the customers who will pay the high launch price have come and gone.

What did draw my interest was a contest the magazine was having. Nintendo also has a portable video game system called the DS, which has dual screens to make games more interactive. In trade for sending Nintendo a postcard with my thoughts on its upcoming system, I have been entered into a contest for four Nintendo DS systems, each loaded with eight of its finest games (I’m guessing about $400 for each system/game bundle).

I obviously have no need for four of the same system and/or game, so I found people to give my potential winnings to. My friend Taylor, who has always claimed to be “genetically enhanced” for playing video games, will get one of them — an unnamed coworker will get another one.

That leaves a system for me, and a system for another friend. The problem is I don’t have another friend who would actually use and appreciate such a gift. This is where you come in.

I’m not saying I’m going to win, but it would be nice to know I’m thinking of somebody who has convinced me they deserve such a prize. I plan to pick a reader who can best make their case to me, and I’ll keep the contest open through Aug. 20, the day Nintendo claims they’ll award the prize in the fine print.

What I want from you is, in 30 words or less, a reason compelling enough for me to give you such a great prize normally given as a benefit of friendship. You can e-mail me at the address below with the subject line, “I Wish to Bask in Kevin’s Friendship.” Correspondence can also be mailed to Kevin Wilson, c/o Freedom Newspapers of New Mexico, P.O. Box 1689, Clovis, NM 88102-1689.

If I’m lucky, and you’re lucky, a video game prize just might be coming your way. In any case, I’ve got a series of new friends who only like me for video games — which is something I’d be very (circle one: ashamed/proud) of.

Kevin Wilson is a columnist for Freedom Newspapers of New Mexico. He can be contacted at 763-3431, ext. 313, or by e-mail:

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