The Adventure of the Speeding Wizard
I often find myself in something of an internal conflict. On the one hand I can be an adult with responsibilities yet at the same time I can be a big kid finding enjoyment from something childish. This week was a prime example of that conflict.
A few weeks ago I was caught breaking the speed limit by a mobile speed camera. Now whilst I can't argue with the fact I was technically breaking the law, I can complain that the law is ineffective. For me, speed limits are far too rigid. I was caught at ten to eight on a Sunday morning doing sixty miles an hour in a fifty zone. It's a dual carriageway, there wasn't a single other car on the road and the visibility was just about perfect. I may have been driving faster than the prescribed limit but I was clearly driving at a safe speed for the conditions at that time.
Whilst being caught speeding can lead to a penalty and points on your driving licence, most police forces offer the opportunity to attend a 'driver awareness course'. So this was where I found myself on the hottest day of the year, sat with twenty-four other people who didn't want to be there. Said course was about as entertaining as it could be, though it was essentially three hours of "don't do this, you might die". Interestingly, it was discussed how urban areas are the place where most accidents happen and when asked it turned out that only three out of twenty-five people were caught speeding in an urban area; this fact only re-enforced the idea that this was just a money making scheme for the local constabulary, with them receiving £3,000 from the participants. Assuming every course is full, that's £33,000 a week at just this centre. Still, at least I received a free pen.
This was all very much in the adult responsibility circle. When I was a child my only contact with the police was when they came into school and we were able to try on their helmets. I still occasionally have moments of that level of joy, like when I found myself casting a spell to rescue a baby hippogriff whilst sat in the waiting area for the course.
Last week saw the release of the new Harry Potter: Wizards Unite game. Like Pokemon Go, it sees creatures and characters from the Wizarding World appear in our own world through the wonders of AR (augmented reality) technology. It was released at an ideal time for me- with the nice weather causing my hayfever to flare up to unprecedented levels, I've been avoiding my usual country walks and instead walking around the town. I needed something to make these more interesting and Wizards Unite filled the niche.
I did try out Pokemon Go when it was released but soon grew tired to it- Wizards Unite is more enjoyable. For a start, it's set in the world of Harry Potter which I've been into since I was about nine or ten. It also solves several of the issues I had with the Pokemon game- plenty of things pop up even if you are walking in a quiet area like my housing estate and there's a huge variety in the things you interact with rather than just endless rattatas!
I'm addicted. Everywhere I've gone this week I've been casting spells and dueling monsters. This is clearly in the big kid circle of my life. Clearly this is a game aimed for teenagers and children and is not really intended for twenty-seven year old men. I'm aware that some people will have a negative view of me playing this game and I've tried to be subtle when playing it. There's something slightly odd about sat in the middle of a shopping centre fighting a giant spider as slyly as possible.
I'm certainly not going to stop any time soon. In the world of education it's widely recognised that play is a crucial part of learning and development. But I think it's still really important that adults is remember to play one form or another. If we spend our whole lives being the responsible adult who is always serious we lose the joy of living. We should remember to shelve the responsibilities from time to time and do something fun- if that means wandering around the town looking for nifflers, so be it!
A few weeks ago I was caught breaking the speed limit by a mobile speed camera. Now whilst I can't argue with the fact I was technically breaking the law, I can complain that the law is ineffective. For me, speed limits are far too rigid. I was caught at ten to eight on a Sunday morning doing sixty miles an hour in a fifty zone. It's a dual carriageway, there wasn't a single other car on the road and the visibility was just about perfect. I may have been driving faster than the prescribed limit but I was clearly driving at a safe speed for the conditions at that time.
Whilst being caught speeding can lead to a penalty and points on your driving licence, most police forces offer the opportunity to attend a 'driver awareness course'. So this was where I found myself on the hottest day of the year, sat with twenty-four other people who didn't want to be there. Said course was about as entertaining as it could be, though it was essentially three hours of "don't do this, you might die". Interestingly, it was discussed how urban areas are the place where most accidents happen and when asked it turned out that only three out of twenty-five people were caught speeding in an urban area; this fact only re-enforced the idea that this was just a money making scheme for the local constabulary, with them receiving £3,000 from the participants. Assuming every course is full, that's £33,000 a week at just this centre. Still, at least I received a free pen.
This was all very much in the adult responsibility circle. When I was a child my only contact with the police was when they came into school and we were able to try on their helmets. I still occasionally have moments of that level of joy, like when I found myself casting a spell to rescue a baby hippogriff whilst sat in the waiting area for the course.
Last week saw the release of the new Harry Potter: Wizards Unite game. Like Pokemon Go, it sees creatures and characters from the Wizarding World appear in our own world through the wonders of AR (augmented reality) technology. It was released at an ideal time for me- with the nice weather causing my hayfever to flare up to unprecedented levels, I've been avoiding my usual country walks and instead walking around the town. I needed something to make these more interesting and Wizards Unite filled the niche.
I did try out Pokemon Go when it was released but soon grew tired to it- Wizards Unite is more enjoyable. For a start, it's set in the world of Harry Potter which I've been into since I was about nine or ten. It also solves several of the issues I had with the Pokemon game- plenty of things pop up even if you are walking in a quiet area like my housing estate and there's a huge variety in the things you interact with rather than just endless rattatas!
I'm addicted. Everywhere I've gone this week I've been casting spells and dueling monsters. This is clearly in the big kid circle of my life. Clearly this is a game aimed for teenagers and children and is not really intended for twenty-seven year old men. I'm aware that some people will have a negative view of me playing this game and I've tried to be subtle when playing it. There's something slightly odd about sat in the middle of a shopping centre fighting a giant spider as slyly as possible.
I'm certainly not going to stop any time soon. In the world of education it's widely recognised that play is a crucial part of learning and development. But I think it's still really important that adults is remember to play one form or another. If we spend our whole lives being the responsible adult who is always serious we lose the joy of living. We should remember to shelve the responsibilities from time to time and do something fun- if that means wandering around the town looking for nifflers, so be it!
Comments
Post a Comment