Gentlepersons — start your engines!

I have been recovering from a rather serious brain injury — three different stays in hospitals (several months) followed by some additional time in a convalescent home. Years of relearning.

One item (among many) on my list of skills that need improvement was certainly driving. Very important to my prior life was mobility. Yes, the basics of walking, running, swimming, etc. were important to me — as was driving. Over 25 years as a gypsy (I held drivers licenses in fifteen states, plus some repeats) working in the engineering field, choosing contracts that gave me a three-month-or-so summer in places like Honolulu, Baja California and The Netherlands.

Yes, there were specific psychomotor skills that needed some significant work — and a mental perspective challenge that was even bigger.

Late in all my efforts was a try at gaming. After decades of ignoring gaming (until a couple of months ago, I had never even SEEN use of any console game since Matttel's Intellivision) I purchased an Xbox 360, a Microsoft Racing Wheel, and a buncha games — including Forza Motorsport 2, PGR4, Dirt, and Crackdown. Too bad, BTW, that Crackdown won't accept input from a racing wheel. I like that one, anyway. [Other purchases have included Bioshock, The Orange Box, Halo 3, Assassin's Creed, Gun, Viva Pinata, Tetris Evolution, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Beautiful Katamari.]

What a surprise Burnout Paradise has been!

Contrary to what might have been expected from my real-world "mental perspective challenge" — particularly my new fear of traffic and my now-even-more-pronounced directional befuddlement — I have found a new home in Paradise City.

I have even learned to like — I mean really LIKE — the Road Rage and Marked Man events.

In the short time since its release, Burnout Paradise has become an important element in my therapy. One that has already transferred to some real improvement in my real-life skill set. Without tempting me to actually demonstrate my "new" blocking or takedown skills.

At least, not yet. *grin*