First, I want to write a big thank-you to Bryan, Shelby (my fellow members on the PCP), and Patrick (our wellness trainer) for their advice and humor in the comment section of my Day 22 post. Combine that with the fact, for the first time in weeks, I didn’t feel lethargic during my big break between classes at work today, and I find myself in a pretty good mood, at least compared to yesterday.
THANK-YOU!
Okay, now that that’s done, today’s exercises went well, but I don’t think I’m pushing myself as hard as I could be, so I’m trying to slow down my pace. Monday and Tuesday are busy days for me, so I know I speed through my PCP workout a bit. The workout still takes me over an hour or nearly and hour to complete, but sometimes it still feels rushed. I’ve got to work harder at getting up early on Monday and Tuesday. Is it going to be early to bed for me on Sunday? We’ll see.
And now, to today’s topic. I’ve introduced you all a bit to Ryo Saeba A.K.A. City Hunter, my hero for this project, but now let me introduce you to my anti-hero. Earlier last year when Street Fighter IV was released in arcades in Japan, I was excited to play it. I’ve been a fan of Street Fighter since the first game was released in 1984 and have played every sequel since then, but when I sat down to play Street Fighter IV for the first time, I saw this guy.
Rufus is his name and, as strange as he is, he would become a cornerstone of what eventually led me to join the PCP.
My bout with pneumonia was still to come, but I was already starting to feel seriously dissatisfied with my appearance. When I looked in the mirror before or after my shower, I thought I looked pregnant, but after I saw Rufus, for some reason, the thought of him increased how horrible I thought I looked ten fold. I started to compare my body to Rufus’s, and I saw them as exactly the same shape. Rufus, was, through the magic of the gaming world, a big fat couch potato who could fight. Me, I was just a big fat couch potato.
Rufus in action in Street Fighter IV
I’m a casual gamer, and there are characters in games I love just like the characters I love in my favorite books, but this was the first time a video game character had a profound effect on my self-perception. It got to the point where I felt bad every time I sat down to play any video game. The games’ powerful characters just reminded me how badly I had let myself go and how much of a physical mess I was becoming.
We are never as fat as we think we are. Rufus isn’t real, and my run in with Rufus hasn’t turned me into some kind of freaky video-game-triggered-anorexic, but I can’t deny the fact that seeing the big fat tub that is Rufus acted like a ghost of Christmas Present for me (Pneumonia would be my ghost of Christmas Future) and moved me significantly towards wanting to change. I will continue to enjoy the games and books I love, but I don’t want to look like Rufus does—ever.
You know, I’m actually looking forward to my next workout.
More tomorrow,
Sean
In 3 months of online Street Fighter I've only fought 3 or 4 Rufuses, (Rufi?) so you're obviously not alone in your distaste for him. What a weird character.
ReplyDeleteWhatever motivates works! Which SF character inspires you?
Of course Rufus is American. lolz.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work, Sean!
Dude, your totally going to opposite way! That's flippin awesome.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young I was addicted to Mortal Kombat. Are they super different?
I'm glad you responded to Rufus as a wake up call and are doing something constructive with that response. So many people never make it that far and just let themselves feel bad. Way to go dude!!
ReplyDeleteMan, I wish I still had time for video games the way I did when I was a kid. I miss the days of playing Street Fighter 2 Turbo for hours and hours.