"Ode To Microsoft"

Rah Rah Calloway

Mrs. Frayser

Creative Writing

30 August 2016

Ode to Microsoft

Thanks Microsoft for all the memories you have created for me. They’re memories that will live with me forever. Because of you all, I had an amazing childhood, filled with excitement and heartfelt moments. Thanks Microsoft for making the Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One. Your company is one of the living memories I have of my father. The man who bought me my first Xbox.

We actually owned our Xbox before I can even remember. We were a competitive bunch, my father would face-off against my older brothers Michael and Reggie Jr. in Madden. The old Madden’s of course. Since I was only in early elementary School I couldn’t keep up with them, so many time when I challenged on of them, they lower the quarter to 2 minutes, and destroy me. My sister would tell me how if I didn’t really understand or wasn’t the best in a game, she’d find me up at night playing the game, trying to master it. This was over ten years ago!

My love for Xbox and the memories it brought to me doesn’t stop there. All through elementary school I played games like, Ultimate Alliance 1 & 2, Spiderman, Guitar Hero 1, 2, & Legends of Rock. Everyday after school I was in it to win it. Never did I ever beat my dad in Madden though. He asked me not to long before he passed what I wanted to do when he got out of the hospital, and I told him that I wanted to play him in a single game of Madden. He said that we could, too bad it never happened. I always call it ‘The Forgotten Game.’ It hurts to think about still but it honestly one of the most vivid memories I have of my father. He always connected with me through video games. Racing games, fighting games, RPG’s (Role Playing Games), everything that wasn’t to gory. I remember one day when my dad picked me and my little brother Kobe up from school. When we went outside he told us to look in the trunk. I was pretty confused, but when the trunk came open, it all made sense. My father had bought me new guitars for Guitar Hero, new Xbox controllers, new games, everything. I was so happy, we got to go home and play games for the rest of the day. All in all, I feel that video games helped my dad bond with my brothers and I more than anything else. My dad worked a lot but that didn’t stop him from playing with us sometimes. Really, I’d catch him playing by himself sometimes. My dad was a beast at Madden 08 (That sounds so old now that made 18 is going to come out next year). I have to Thank you Microsoft (and EA sports) for all the memories you brought to me and my family, because of you I have good memories about my father and my brothers.