What was your first ever videogame?
Do you remember your first video game?
Mine takes me back to Super Mario Bros. — that little Italian plumber in the red cap, the green pipes, the question-mark blocks, and those mushrooms that looked suspiciously like something one ought to consult a botanist about before eating.
But Mario seemed perfectly happy with them, so who was I to argue?
There you are, running along, jumping over gaps, collecting coins, and trying not to get yourself squashed by a walking mushroom with a terrible attitude.
Simple enough, surely?
Oh, darling. If only life came with a controller.
You start out thinking you know what you’re doing. You have a plan, a little confidence, and perhaps a pocketful of coins. Then you meet your first Goomba, misjudge a jump, and discover that gravity has absolutely no interest in your ambitions.
We’ve all had days like that.
You think you’ve finally got the hang of things, and along comes a new obstacle. Sometimes it’s a job that doesn’t go to plan. Sometimes it’s a relationship that takes an unexpected turn. Sometimes it’s simply Tuesday, and the kettle has decided to develop an attitude.
You jump, you land, you keep going.
And every so often, you find a little mushroom.
Now, in Mario’s world, a mushroom can make you bigger and stronger. In ours, it might be a kind word from a friend, a new opportunity, a lesson learned the hard way, or somebody who appears at just the right moment and reminds you that you’re not doing this alone.
Not every power-up arrives in a shiny box with a question mark on it, darling. Some arrive wearing muddy boots and carrying a cup of tea.
Of course, Mario has one considerable advantage over most of us: he can apparently smash bricks with his head without needing an appointment with a neurologist.
I wouldn’t recommend trying that at home.
And then there’s the princess.
You work your way through the level, overcome the obstacles, defeat the big bad, and arrive at the castle expecting a well-earned rest.
Only to be told she’s in another castle.
Oh, good heavens.
Doesn’t that sound familiar? You finish one project, and three more appear. You solve one problem, and another is waiting patiently behind it. You finally get the house tidy, and somebody walks in wearing muddy shoes.
Perhaps the trick is to stop imagining that happiness is a castle at the end of the level.
Perhaps it’s in the coins you collect along the way, the friends who join you for the journey, and the satisfaction of discovering that you’re a little better at jumping over the gaps than you were yesterday.
So, if life feels like a particularly difficult level at the moment, take a breath, darling.
You don’t have to complete the whole game today.
Just watch your step, keep an eye out for the mushrooms, and remember that even Mario occasionally needs another go.
And if someone tells you the princess is in another castle?
Well, put the kettle on first. You might need a biscuit.
Stay Fabulous,
Luce 💋
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