Memoir: Xbox 360

When I was in middle school, the one thing I desperately craved was a Xbox 360. This gaming behemoth was the stepping stone into the world of video games that marked middle school culture. Every kid worth his salt owned one of these machines. A Xbox 360 wasn't just a video game console; its online communications service, Xbox Live, was the inlet to the afterschool social world of middle school boys. Laughter, rage, joy, friendship, and shame were all shared across Xbox Live by teenagers everywhere.

I really wanted a Xbox 360. My only chance of snagging one was on Black Friday, 2010. The massive sale at Target that day was the only time anyone could buy a Xbox with the measly two hundred dollars I had to my name from odd jobs. The only other obstacle to my purchase was my mother, A staunch anti-fun individual, she had never been keen on video games; "Schoolchildren nowadays shouldn't be spending their time on these time-wasters,", she would always say. However, she was surprisingly understanding when I mentioned my intentions for that day. Now, with the blessing of my mom and two hundred dollars in five, ten and one dollar bills, I was finally ready to join my friends and classmates on Xbox Live.

On November 26, 2010, I woke up to the five alarms I set for 4 am. I planned on lining up for the Xbox as soon as possible; there was no way I would let anyone snatch this last hope from me. My mom and I arrived at Target at 4:30, but, much to my dismay, a throng of other early shoppers had already gathered probably over 50! The local circular had stated only 10 xboxs were available that day. With all these people ahead of me, there's no way I'd manage to get my hands on one, I thought. However, my mom was a lot more optimistic than me. We decided to get in the line that slowly began to wrap around the Target building.

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30 minutes before the doors opened, a Target employee handed everyone a numbered card that corresponded to their position in line. Shoppers were to enter the store in groups of 10 in order to reduce congestion. To my surprise, I was only number 46 in line. Maybe I actually had a shot at a Xbox.

By the time 6 am came, the sun was already lighting up the pitch-black sky. The same Target employee came out to herd in the first group of customers.

"Numbers 1 to 10 can go inside!", he called out.

The first 10 shoppers scrambled inside, smirking at everyone else's misfortune. Those 10 were guaranteed whatever they wanted, and they could take their time to find it. If all 10 were looking for a Xbox 360, I would be done for.

"Numbers 11 to 20 can go inside!"

"Numbers 21 to 30 can go inside!"

"Numbers 31 to 40 can go inside!"

Finally, my turn came up. After listening to all my friends and classmates partake in a conversation I was excluded from for so long, I could now join their elite society. Or, if the Xbox's were sold out, I would fall straight on my face. I vastly prefered the former.

"Numbers 41 to 50 can go inside!"

My heart started to race as I sped inside with my mom in tow. I'd been inside this same Target so many times before, but I had never been as determined and engaged as I was then. We walked right past the other 8 who entered with us. The electronics section was at the opposite end of the store; if anyone previous wanted a Xbox, they would have already gotten there. I began to sprint down the wide walkways, despite all the employees' constant reminders not to. I didn't care. I really wanted a Xbox 360.

When I finally reached the electronics area, my heart dropped. All 40 of the other customers must've all been there! However, I spotted a pile of black boxes with the famous green XBOX 360 lettering plastered all over. There were still some Xboxes left! As a matter of fact, I counted 10 of them neatly stacked in the pile. The other 40 shoppers must've not bought a single one. Perhaps my rush was unneeded after after all. Heaving and panting, I paid for the machine with my clump of bills while other customers with their shiny credit cards gawped, but I didn't care, I was now the owner of a Xbox 360.

However, after I had finally returned home, turned on my new Xbox 360, and found all my friends online, I found that no one wanted to play games with me. Because I was new, I'd only drag everyone else down, my veteran friends said. I finally realized that just buying the Xbox wouldn't lead to instant gratification - there was no way to immediately buy into the upper echelons of the middle school video gaming society. Perhaps the Xbox lifestyle just wasn't meant for me. Suddenly, I didn't really want a Xbox 360 anymore.

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