My friend Jose Luis Junior, age 9, wants a PSP so palpably it reminds me of my intense desire at the same age for an Atari 2600. Though he doesn’t have the games he dreams of, he reads game strategy guides like they were novels. In great detail, he explains the Grand Theft Auto cultural minutia at a level that I can’t follow. And I have played a lot of Grand Theft Auto, though Junior has not jacked a single car.
When I finally got my 2600 I would play Combat endlessly, kicking the enemy tank all over the maze which, admittedly, was not very difficult as I was the only opponent. I would only take breaks to pore over the Atari game catalog and try to figure out if Indy 500 was really worth the extra money due to the included steering controllers. Perhaps I should just get Street Racer or Night Racer…
Junior’s obsession far eclipses mine. He has a folder full of stock photos that he has clipped from Target and Toys R Us flyers. He has clipped photos of the PSP backside so that he has source material to correctly render the battery door. You see, Junior draws PSPs to scale, cuts them out and sells them to his friends! For a quarter! I bought two, 50 cents plus a 50 cent tip. Naturally, all he wanted for Christmas was a PSP but it didn’t happen due to finances.
So, I am taking up a collection to buy Junior a PSP. Just send Paypal money to MONEY RAISED - THANKS ANYWAY! As soon as the PSP purchase price has been met, I will shut down the Paypal account. If there are a few bucks extra, Junior and I will spend it on candy and soda pop. In addition to Junior’s gratitude, the most generous donor will receive a photo of Junior with PSP in his grubby mitt. Additionally, I will send you one of Junior’s original PSP artworks from the Hooptyrides Corporate Art Collection. Then you will have a paper PSP, just like me and eight of Junior's schoolmates. I keep mine with me and kids are literally horrified when I sit down next to them in a waiting room and they look over from their real PSP to see me playing my paper PSP.
Think of me as Sally Struthers and the PSP as a bowl of rice.
UPDATE: The money has been raised! Thank you internets! Thank you boingboing! Thank you kind games company employee who offered to send games! And, most especially, thank you kind souls who emptied your pockets for Junior! Will post updated pictures when transaction complete!
