My Life as a Game

I had a dream during this morning's fitful sleep.

We were on a beach discussing strategies for a game. "I know!" I said, "We have to get two of them to hook up!" "Them" referred to two of our mutual friends, and the idea of this strategy was to simultaneously improve the "relationship" score of two friends at once. The game we were playing was a mutant hybrid of HSX, Facebook, and Sims. Each person is a stock whose price is determined by his or her success in life, made up of scores such as "relationship," "career," and "health." Each player then maintains a portfolio of "friends" to invest it. The objective of the game: make money.

In my woozy, jarred-awake state, I briefly contemplated starting such a game. And then I realized, what was this but the game of life?