There’s a lot to be said about dealing with mental health as a leftist sort of person in the 20th century, particularly during this pandemic. Many articles have been written already, and I might even write about it a bit more in the future myself.

An important part of that has always been the various forms of recreation we engage in both by ourselves and collectively. As a species, we seem to have a need to do activities that have little purpose beyond the joy of doing them, and I think that’s a good thing. Insofar as human life has a purpose, I believe happiness plays a big role in that purpose, which makes the dizzying variety of ways in which we seek that happiness vitally important.

Video games have long been a major feature in my own entertainment landscape, sometimes to the point where they’ve crowded out other stuff I needed or wanted to be doing. As with anything, proportion is always key.

During the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a great many people have been turning to video games to help pass the time, and to interact with friends, families, and strangers. At the same time, many of us are also fighting to grapple with the massive, systemic problems, and the hugely powerful people and organizations who seem hell-bent on turning the surface of this beautiful planet into, well, a hellscape.

It’s important to fight the forces of evil, and it’s also important to take some time to do things like putter around, interact with animals, and seek peace.

I feel this video is a useful effort to find that balance:

Unfortunately, life costs money, and my income from this blog has yet to meet minimum wage for the time I put into it. If you can afford to, please consider pledging a couple dollars per month or so through my Patreon. This will help me continue creating and improving this blog by keeping a roof over my head, and food in my carnivorous pets so they don’t eat me. Crowdfunding requires a crowd, so if you can pitch in a little, it would help a great deal!