I keep getting addicted to free games. Once I realize I’ve hit the point of madness, I drag the game into the trash bin and empty the trash. Then a week later I pick up another game, and it starts all over again.

Usually, I’m pretty competent at the things I do. (I do things I enjoy, and with enjoyment comes practice, and with practice comes skill.) And I’m fairly good at games. So when I downloaded BzFlag, an online first person tank game, I was just subconsciously expecting to do well. I started out on the bottom of the score list. No surprise there.

But after weeks of playing, I was still at the bottom of the score list. I stank. I would get killed three or four times before even getting a shot off. I’d press the home key, to look at stats and my accuracy would be the lowest in the server.

This much skillessness was unheard of. I couldn’t stand seeing “Brains”, my game nickname on the bottom of the list all the time. I did something I have never done since I first played online - I changed my nickname. “Wallace” was what I came up with, and as “Wallace”, I continued to dominate last place.

Until three days ago. With no warning, I found myself in second place. Then several times I’ve been on top of the score list.

Then randomly, I’m back to doing poorly. Oh well, the change was nice for a while.