Nostalgia Plunge
Hello friends,
After some time lurking I've finally decided to join as this site seems like a pretty tight community of like minded people, also to post some topics I'd like to address.. The info and nostalgia here is great and you guys have really helped me cope lately during a hard time in my life..
My father passed away a month ago after battling progressive illness that took a pretty sharp decline in health toward the end. He'd served in Vietnam, and like many was introduced to heroin and alcohol, which he'd battle the rest of his life. Toward the end he just had no will to live anymore and kept on using despite the consequences. He knew he was dying anyway, the many years of abuse had ruined his liver, kidneys, heart and will to fight. When he got a fungal blood infection and heart valve infection the docs gave him a few months to live, and soon after he was under hospice care and passed weeks later in the VA.
During the last few months it was not easy for me to deal with all this mentally. Keeping my mind busy with less depressing thoughts was really all I could do to keep it together.. At one point I found myself firing up that old NES toaster rarely used anymore but forever a mainstay on my entertainment stands and in my life. I quickly realized that the 10 year old me, who knew all the tricks against that flashing screen and blinking light was fighting a losing battle.
Though I have the console hooked up in my living room, all my games are stored on media bookshelfs down in my unfinished basement. I live in Pennsylvania and summertime humidity here can be brutal along with cart neglection, the games will be destroyed unless I find a solution to save them. Not to mention, a cart I may have picked up 10 years ago for 6 bucks is now worth 100, wtf.. So the last few months, dealing with all this life stress between family and work, saving the nostalgia from its demise has become my little hobby to distract my brain and cope with everything. And the NES to me will always be tied with the memory of my dad. He influenced and shaped my childhood and who I am today in so many ways he couldn't fathom..
After some time lurking I've finally decided to join as this site seems like a pretty tight community of like minded people, also to post some topics I'd like to address.. The info and nostalgia here is great and you guys have really helped me cope lately during a hard time in my life..
My father passed away a month ago after battling progressive illness that took a pretty sharp decline in health toward the end. He'd served in Vietnam, and like many was introduced to heroin and alcohol, which he'd battle the rest of his life. Toward the end he just had no will to live anymore and kept on using despite the consequences. He knew he was dying anyway, the many years of abuse had ruined his liver, kidneys, heart and will to fight. When he got a fungal blood infection and heart valve infection the docs gave him a few months to live, and soon after he was under hospice care and passed weeks later in the VA.
During the last few months it was not easy for me to deal with all this mentally. Keeping my mind busy with less depressing thoughts was really all I could do to keep it together.. At one point I found myself firing up that old NES toaster rarely used anymore but forever a mainstay on my entertainment stands and in my life. I quickly realized that the 10 year old me, who knew all the tricks against that flashing screen and blinking light was fighting a losing battle.
Though I have the console hooked up in my living room, all my games are stored on media bookshelfs down in my unfinished basement. I live in Pennsylvania and summertime humidity here can be brutal along with cart neglection, the games will be destroyed unless I find a solution to save them. Not to mention, a cart I may have picked up 10 years ago for 6 bucks is now worth 100, wtf.. So the last few months, dealing with all this life stress between family and work, saving the nostalgia from its demise has become my little hobby to distract my brain and cope with everything. And the NES to me will always be tied with the memory of my dad. He influenced and shaped my childhood and who I am today in so many ways he couldn't fathom..
Comments
Welcome to NA!
I'm new and still trying to figure out the bits of how the forum works and such. I was going to add another sentence to my post but I'm not sure I maxed out the limit or my phone started bugging out and was cut off. Is there a limit for posts?
Enjoy the NES awesomeness! This place is radical.
I don't think there's a limit for posts. I mean... I've never reached it, and made some pretty lengthy posts. Seen some long ones as well.
And yes, I know the awesomeness, tho I've spent most all my time reading on the gauntlet. I do have a few threads in mind dealing with cleaning, repairing and some tech stuff I've not come across thus far.. Which forum does that stuff best belong?
Cleaning, repairing, and whatnot should be found in the Help Wanted! section. There are many threads there on those subjects.
Welcome! Might want to invest in a dehumidifier to keep your games in good shape.
I do have one, problem is games were kept against wall on other side of basement as I have the dehumidifier hosed to the floor drain so I don't have to empty it. I guess I could get a longer hose and move it a few feet more toward center, you don't want them too far from the washer & dryer tho. As I'm still working my way through bringing them upstairs to clean and pile up here for now, all this takes a good bit of time. Eventually I will bring them back down and keep them on the other side closer to the dehumidifier. I also plan to build a large custom shelving wall with real wood for them and all other media, I can one day finish the basement around that.
A few years back the first dehumidifier took a shit during summer and couldn't afford a new one for like two months. Big mistake waiting. Not only do I have the games but many VHS tapes plus all the music equipment down there.. Guitar strings, pedals all rusted to hell, molding drums, everything getting ruined quickly.. That was not a fun clean up job, cleaners, Tyvek suit, gloves, respirator and put the Kirby vaccum through hell. Can never be too careful when dealing with this type of clean up, very easy to get sick.
Welcome to the site. The Nes probably gives alot of us here memories of their dad. My dad hasn't ever a gamer but he did play Duck Hunt with me growing up. Anyway, it sounds like your dad and my dad had a lot of the same issues. I really hate you have been through it. My dad is a Vietnam veteran, depressed, and a alcoholic at 69 years old. It has been continuous since my childhood. He has been in the Er twice in 2 months. A few days ago, he was in trauma and was serious due to a puncture in his neck from a fall due to being drunk. It's Definately hard. He seems to have near the same health problems has your dad had. He has two new grand kids he seems to love to death but depression is a serious problem that I guess is hard for people to realize or believe they have which leads to their downfall.
Yeah I can for sure relate.. My dad was never into games, I remember just being thrilled if he would attempt to play or even just watch me..
My dad almost made it to 68 but I'm amazed it wasn't much sooner. He had a good clean run of about 5 years until a couple years ago he got word his only army buddy was dying of cancer in Georgia. He went down to be with him in the hospital as he passed away. This really screwed him up and was the only time I'm told he cried about anything. It was all downhill from there. He had PTSD and full VA benefits and soon was getting 4K+ per month. Most of this went into a vein..
I know it all sucks man, and it likely won't end well. Just remember when the time comes the suffering will be over and he can go be with his mom n dad n army buddies. And you're here and who you are because of him and the NES holds a special place cuz of that.