When I look back on my childhood, there are some things that stand out more than others, and I can see how it has shaped me into who I am today. The video game “Animal Crossing: Wild World” is one of those things and is also a game I still play periodically for comfort. The general concept of the game is that you’re a villager who lives on an island with other animals and, essentially, you’re doing tasks to improve the town and make it more of a home. It reminds me of simpler times when life was less complicated and hectic as a child. You might think I’m exaggerating or even cringey for saying this, but there really are numerous lessons I’ve learned from this game that I’ve been able to take with me as my life progresses.
Budgeting and managing finances are something this game taught me at a young age, way before I knew anything about money or had a job and source of income. I learned about taking out mortgages and making payments on them. I also learned about prioritizing because if I spent my money (or “bells” as it’s called in the game) on a shirt I liked, I might not have enough to buy the medicine I needed to treat my bee sting. I had to work hard and get creative to make money in “Animal Crossing” in order to afford the things I wanted and needed, which taught me that nothing is free and things will never be handed to you—you have to work for what you want.
On a different note, I learned about friendship from growing up with this video game. I learned what it takes to both make new friendships and maintain my current friendships. When one of my animal buddies in the video game asked me for a favor, I’d do my best to help them out. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for your friends, which can mean doing things for them even when you don’t always feel like it. It means not taking them for granted and recognizing that both people need to be giving and taking, otherwise it’s not mutually beneficial. If only one person is putting in the effort to maintain the relationship, then it’s bound to fail. It sounds simple on paper, but a lot of people struggle with this concept. If you don’t water your flowers, sooner or later, they’ll wilt.
Lastly, “Animal Crossing: Wild World” taught me about letting go. I learned what to do when people leave your life without saying goodbye. In the game, sometimes villagers who I really liked would move out of my town. The only trace left of them was a letter stating they were already gone. Other times, I wouldn’t even get a letter or an explanation. I’ve seen this happen around me throughout life, which has taught me the importance of closure and goodbyes. People are constantly entering and exiting your life, which is normal and never goes away. Sometimes you have to go separate ways from people, and while it can be sad, you just have to keep moving forward with or without them and accept it.