We imbue our children with the hope of the future so that they may give us the courage to face the present. Not that the present is terrible, but it helps to take in the wonder that is a child’s perception. Every new moment is something special, every learned pattern an achievement. The enthusiasm only tempered by the raw practicality of honesty. After all, kids call it like it is. If something doesn’t vibe with the worldview they understand, they ask about it. There is no “beating around the bush” or telling white lies to maintain the status quo. There is only fundamental truth and the outcomes of that truth.
Something that I was reminded of by my daughter the previous week. In her exuberance, she has taken a liking to the video game Roblox, and, in that boundless energy of enjoyment, she has decided: she too can make a Roblox game. I of course thought, Nah, that ain’t gonna happen anytime soon. I don’t even know where to start.
What came out of my mouth, though, was different. “Well, sweetie, if you work hard enough and find the right people to help you, you sure can make that game, but it will take a lot of effort.”
Her response was as elegant as it was simple. “Dad, just use that big smart brain of yours to make one. I’ll help!”
Yes, yes, I know. There is a bit of bait in there, but, when you break it down, she wasn’t aiming for that. She was simply saying that she believed in my ability to make a game, and that if I tried—I could. All my predisposed notions of limitations washed away. My fear of inadequacy turned to determination, because she was right—I can make one, or at least try.
So, I got to thinking, What does it take to make a Roblox game? Turns out, a whole heck of a lot, BUT not so much that your moderately ambitious adult with some technical savvy can’t tackle.
Apparently, Roblox uses the Lua (High-level programming language) that, “… is a powerful, efficient, lightweight, embeddable scripting language. It supports several programming styles: procedural, object-oriented, functional, data-driven, and data description.” That is according to https://www.lua.org/about.html. Although in my cursory investigation of Roblox game-making I determined that this boast is not far from the truth. Redditors, wiki-hows, and random forums would have me believe that I can in fact make a Roblox game, albeit a very simple one.
And there it is. My next side-project: make a simple Roblox game with my daughter. Of course, she will be my art and creative development team, and all I need to do is make her imagination come to life. No big deal … right? RIGHT!?
I sure hope so, because already I am tasked with creating an evil scientist named, Mr. Fox. A furry antagonist who apparently has been capturing several woodland creatures and making them … evil? I am not sure on that part, maybe just upset. Whatever the case, I have the premise and it’s going to be awesome … albeit simple.
That little slice of life is just one moment in which my kids have shown me a new viewpoint, a new lens from which to examine the world. Sometimes adult life can be hard to navigate; sometimes it can be downright terrifying. But, when I see those little facets of hope, those glimmers of enthusiasm, I know that it’s worth it. That the struggles we wrestle with are to pave a path forward, a road that will give them the best chance to realize their hopes and dreams. In turn, they give us courage, strength, resilience, and my favorite, inspiration.
Thank you all for reading! Stay tuned next week for more shorts and tidbits from me.
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