I’m Not A Gamer, Or Am I?
I am not a gamer. Am I? Does it count if I’ve been obsessed with puzzles, word games, tile puzzles, seeker games, Mahjong, Clockmaker for years? I even tried Gorogoa but honestly as fabulous as the graphics are, who is that smart?! Wait, maybe I am into gaming! I always assumed that ‘gaming’ meant voluntarily entering some horribly dystopian other-world of mega violence and, that old standby, unrelenting misogyny. Hang on – that’s just real life now. Sorry, that was my inner voice being glib and vying for attention.
As we now understand the breath and scope of gaming, and women’s presence in it, then I’m a believer and hard core participant. Paradoxically, I think games actually help to focus the mind and take it on a mini vacation. Who doesn’t need that?
Photo of a horse by Susan Rancourt
Which leads me back to gaming and the soul soothing intention behind the*gameHERs — a celebratory space for all women and girls — everywhere. To enter either ablaze with purpose and anticipation or guardedly but urgently nonetheless. To play, literally, to create, to experience, to respond with support and humor, to feel safe. To feel safe. We are not all the same, nor should we pretend to be, yet we all pulse with a hunger to connect and to express. To borrow from The Internet of Things, the*gameHERS is creating an Internet of Women which by its very existence is a vital ‘game changer’.
Thank you to the*gameHERs team for identifying and actually implementing this futuristic haven for girls and women from all over the globe! Where do I sign in?!
Written by Susan Rancourt
Susan was born and raised in Maine and has a reverence for nature. During college in Maine where she majored in History, Music and English, she went ice fishing, solo hiking and animal tracking. She also continued writing poetry – one of her prized possessions is an encouraging letter from Anne Sexton dated 1971.
A lifelong learner Susan is also an accomplished jazz vocalist (iTunes, Susan Rancourt), poet, photographer, musician, and an always-learning horse handler. The pictures of horses throughout the piece are just a few examples of her photography work.
Although she is now retired from her day-job, she was insanely fortunate to somehow parlay her liberal arts soul into Silicon Valley. Her favorite job was working for Apple Computer as Head of Financial Services, Apple Pacific. Susan is an alum of Apple’s First Ten Years.
Photo of a horse by Susan Rancourt
She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her spouse of 42 years, Annette, a non-nonsense Sicilian from New Jersey, and their prideful Poodle, Kip. They can be relied upon to know the neighborhood news and are affectionately known as the hip neighborhood grandmothers. They are honored.
Follow her on Instagram: srancourt_53
Email: srancourt@icloud.com
She’d love to hear from you!
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