I am sure by now most of you have heard about this new app/game taking the nation by storm, Pokémon Go. It seems to be everywhere. I have heard of companies calling in employees to human resources for playing a game while at work, people walking into dangerous situations without paying attention. Driving home Tuesday night, two boys walked into the road next to me without even looking up at traffic. I am sure my wife is cringing as she reads this, worried that I will sound like a member of the cast of “Grumpy Old Men.” She warned me I was going to sound old if I approached this topic, however I keep getting asked about this app.
I have to be honest. I did not know the purpose of the game, but some people seemed to be fanatical about it. After looking into it, I was told that the game was made to get people off the couch and move. While I am sure that is not the only reason, it was the reason people kept landing on. Years ago prior to my wife and I tying the knot, she and some of her family were doing challenges on Nike+. I found myself joining the Nike+ movement. I can admit that I am ever so slightly competitive on occasion. Yes, I have gone for a run just before midnight to win a challenge.
After my pregnant wife’s insurance offered her a Fitbit to track her movement in hopes of bringing down her BMI, she started using it. Yes, you read that correct. Due to being pregnant, which the insurance company’s program could not account for, they wanted her to lose weight. Ironically she did just that months later when our son was born, no Fitbit needed. The neat part of the Fitbit was that it was cumulative on steps/miles. Soon I was changing over to be able to join the challenges. There were whole online communities that revolved around finding the group that you most associate with.
Now there are numerous companies that have such products, such as Garmin and Under Armor. Each of these products has their own version of apps that track and encourage society to get up and move. So as someone that has used such devices as a fun and entertaining way to get myself up and going, I understand and appreciate what the Pokémon Go app is doing for people. Just remember to be safe and use some sense while following the game. After all, tracking and hunting for Pokémon can lead to drastic life changes for some. As my cousin Ryan told a group of Pokémon enthusiasts (maybe they are called Pokés), if you like Pokémon Go, you would love hunting… or looking for sheds.
Shed Hunting with my oldest