Addiction: 1 (noun) an extreme compulsion to act in ways that supersede logic, common sense and previous behaviors. 2 (Minecraft) “Don’t worry about your article. There could be diamonds in the next mine!”

Yeah. It’s Friday morning, and all I’ve done all week in my free time is play Minecraft. Don’t judge me too harshly, though. I swear it needs its own 12 step program and support group. This game defines addiction.

Hello. My name is Jason. (Hello Jason) I am addicted to Minecraft, and my story starts like this (que flashback fade.) I bought the game for my son, Joshua, out of the $20 stack at Wal-Mart. I thought, “It’ll keep him busy, and it doesn’t cost a lot.” And that’s how it all started.

In the span of one week, my son and I have built a house, an office building, a working lighthouse with bridge and harbor, a longer over-under bridge with mine cart rail system, a tree house, a mountain-top observatory, and a mountain retreat carved into a cliff overlooking a waterfall. Oh, and a highway carved through mountains with glass tunnels to view the working mines connecting all these structures.

Minecraft is so incredibly simple to play, but so completely maddening as well. As soon as you finish one project, you find a great spot in your randomly generated world that would be perfect for another. So you mine for resources to build your new addition, only to discover a new cavern filled with lava pits and flowing rivers hiding gold, diamonds, obsidian, red stone, and adventure!

I know I’m a little late jumping onto the Minecraft mine cart of popularity, but I’m glad I did. This game is so casual, laid back, and creative that it is a welcome distraction from the gore-fest and carnage of most of today’s modern game titles.

And remember, the first step to curing addiction is admitting you have a problem. The second step is caring that you have a problem. TO THE MINES!

Class dismissed.