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Work Trumps Many Things

Making Sun Stones has been (and continues to be!) a lot of work.  Since this is the first game for our little company, we don't have the luxury of "regular income" during this development period.  That has meant a lot of sacrifices for not only those of us on the Sun Stones team, but also for our families.

I personally have been neglecting my partner Kealy Barrow more than I should, so I've started building a new habit to help remind me to pay more attention to her - whenever I notice that the numbers on the clock line up (2:22, or 3:45, or 11:11, etc) I take a moment to write her a note reminding her how much I love and appreciate her.

I sat down to write this weekly blog post for Sunstone Games and notices that it was 1:23pm.  So at the risk of confusing readers, I'm going to address the rest of this post directly to Kealy.

Kealy, I know that you're not anti-video games.  We've talked about how you bought a NES as an adult and ran Super Mario Bros. into the ground.  You've tried out some online games with me, and we've rocked our way through 4 Rock Band games.  But I think you are just now, after more than two years together, realizing that video games are a huge part of my life, and that you will need to have more than just a passing interest in order for our lives to continue to mesh so well.

Relationships require work, and compromise, and change.  We have both showed excellent understanding of those facts, but I think it's been hard on occasion (understandably so) to elevate "Play more Video Games" to the same level as "Make an effort to connect with my partner's friends" or "Prioritize the needs of the children."

Me being a developer certainly exacerbates this trend, because "creating" a video game requires far more focus and time than "playing" a video game ever does.  We've been working on Sun Stones for 6 months, and the initial interest and pride you exhibited in month 3 has had the gloss worn off.  Nobody would fault you for that. I saw a documentary about how people who are champion food-eaters train themselves to digest food slowly - because the digesting process contracts the muscles around the stomach.  Adjusting to the long cycle of game development requires a similar shift - you can't build too much enthusiasm too quickly, because it is a test of endurance.

It is obvious to everyone who knows you, Kealy, that you are motivated by intelligence.  You have passion, and you seek out ways to express that passion through your work, your lifestyle, and your interactions with others.  I too have passion, but it expresses itself in an unusual fashion - though the development of video games.  It is a leap of faith on both our parts to work together and support one another through both the endeavors we appreciate and those which don't speak to us directly.

I love you, Kealy.

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