The White Rectangle

The white rectangle whirrs to life. The fan spins louder as the screen comes to life. The green ring dances around a simple symbol. A quarter arc and in the center and straight line. The controller in my hand, my portal into a virtual world. The center button too comes alive with a green ring prancing around it. So Inviting.

School work sits on the computer desk. Boring, stale and wholly uninviting. My untouched novel sits bare on the computer screen like a muse of production. The rectangular box is all the more enticing, a devilish fetish that at times is crippling. If I level this class up though I'll get the mortar. The mortar looks bad ass. One more game.

That game ends and I shuffle through the paperwork on the desk, as though searching for anything that can pull me away before the match starts, but I can't find it and so I retreat back into the game.

The keyboard is bulky. Too many buttons. Stained with coffee, the "N" key sticks every time I hit it.

There has to be something under there, but for now I'll let it stick. I'll get it later.

The desk is littered with papers. Scribblings and writings of the piece which sits tauntingly on the computer screen. I look at it some more looking over it between the few seconds between matches, before again receding back into the virtual world.

The controller however, that's a thing of beauty and efficiency. Lightweight, it fits in your hand perfectly. Never mind the cramp I get from holding the triggers down too long. Carpel Tunnel is in the future, I'm in the now. A symmetrical body with asymmetrical features. Only a few buttons and white. Much more inviting and appealing than that damn keyboard.

I'm achieving little in reality but achieving so much more online.
I can separate my virtual life from reality but how much is it impeding on?

Is this a problem?

I'm doing fine in school and that's with little effort.

But I can do better.

Better? You've made the Dean's List every semester at Kean.

Yeah, but remember we had a goal to publish this book everyone seems to love?

I will, I will, in due time. But first the jet's available lets do some work.