Alternate ending to "Warcrack: The Second Coming"

                     

Here are the two cut paragraphs from my Pop Matters column "Warcrack: The Second Coming." My editor thought the published version has a stronger more warcraft focused ending. For me, this ending circles back a bit more to my addiction and accurately depicts my current attitude towards the crack. Please cast your two cents.

Cheerios,

E

....

For me, there will always be keeping up with the elves, humans, dwarves, which I no longer have the energy for. There will always be more dungeons I don't have time to explore, epic gear I can't have because I no longer play Warcraft incessantly. I've discovered that just because you've invested madly thus far doesn't mean you can't tiptoe back to balance. There's some moderation that can be injected into my sometimes black and white world.

'Once an addict, Always an addict' is only somewhat true. I'm an addict with perspective. While Warcraft will always be special to me, there's no longer that narcotic urgency to get a hit. I have far too much going on in my life – my career, my friends who've forgiven my fibs and flakiness, volunteering, taking in all the arts and culture available in New York City – to be able to be enthralled in the embrace of Warcraft. But I know I have to be careful. While I won't take Odysseus' approach, it's so easy to slip back, especially in these cold winter days – when she lures like a siren.