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you know that sex-change dungeon in Munchkin?

April 18, 2008 · 23 Comments

any Munchkin gamers out there? any body? Bueller? Bueller?

[nevermind.]

so Munchkin is this hysterical “role-playing” game that TOTALLY makes fun of those “dungeons and dragons” type-games. you win the game with ten “levels” (really, points) by killing monsters or selling stuff. easy enough.

our friends have this modification pack that adds “dungeons” and every time we all enter a new dungeon, the rules change. and, this one time i got to pick “The Dungeon of Gender-Bending,” where everyone undergoes a sex-change. THEN, the monsters that can beat girls, or run from guys, do the reverse because players have had “sex-changes.” also, there’s this one piece of “armor” that’s just for the guys (use your imagination and you can probably guess its function), but when we’re in the Dungeon of Gender-Bending I can use that armor.

[still with me?]

THIS is the crazy part: when we entered that dungeon, all players were required to pick a trans-gender name for themselves. I was A-Man (amanda)… Drew was Andrea (andrew). and if a player accidentally called another player by their real-life name, then that player would lose a level.

[gasp]

yes. an ENTIRE level. that is SO painful.  in case you’re wondering, i never lost a level. i never called someone by their wrong name. how?

[now you should really pay attention - because here comes the whole point]

i eventually stopped “thinking” about names. i tried to just call them by their new-sex name, but that was SO trying. so, finally, i stopped thinking in terms of names altogether. i just stopped the “name” thoughts. didn’t even dwell on them.

the experience got me to thinking about how we are to tame our tongues (James). how we are to watch what we say…

so, i’m seeing two ways to approach this taming:
1) constantly filter ourselves. like in the game, i kept thinking about their new-sex name… as i kept rehearsing the new names in my head, i was filtering out the old names.
2) stop thinking about it altogether. as i gave up on names, and forgot that people had them, then i wasn’t even scared to mis-speak. if we can clear out all the unwanted thoughts, then our minds won’t have to filter our words, and our tongue will be free to speak.

kinda like making sure our “wells” NEVER have onions in them, then we won’t have to filter the “water” that flows out of our “wells”…

so, what do you do to tame your tongue? filter? stop thinking? what’s your secret?

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Categories: culture · my world · people · personal · thoughts on life
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23 responses so far ↓

  • danielle // April 18, 2008 at 7:58 am

    the girls ensure that my “filter” is on (most of the time). when they are not around…i don’t remember them not being around.

  • alece // April 18, 2008 at 8:09 am

    this post cracked me up. i have never heard of that game before!

    i like your taming thoughts. i’ve been mulling for a while on the thought of “just add light” to my life. i have (in the past) tried so hard to get rid of the stuff that shouldn’t be in my life (negativity, sin, weaknesses, etc.) but then I’m basically focusing on that crap. to get rid of darkness, you don’t beg darkness to leave. you don’t coax it out the door. you don’t work hard to diminish it. you simply add light. the introduction of light dispels the darkness.

    i’m thinking it’s kind of the same with this taming business.

  • TheNorEaster // April 18, 2008 at 9:31 am

    Ferris is going to be a fry cook on Venus, but I don’t know the first thing about video games anymore. I gave up when Ms. Pac Man came out and the maze changed with the next level. That was SO confusing it’s not even funny. (No, I MEAN it! It’s not. It’s NOT FUNNY!!!)

    To tame my tongue? When I know the moment is coming that I will say something I shouldn’t, I usually stop the thought from taking shape.

  • TheNorEaster // April 18, 2008 at 9:37 am

    [ By the way, Mandy, I clicked that map and do you realize that you get more visits in a single day than I get in a whole week? Man, what a bummer. ;) ]

  • mandythompson // April 18, 2008 at 9:37 am

    Danielle: you don’t remember them not being around…. wow… you’re SUCH a mom! ;)

    Al: just add light - LOVE IT! love you!

    TheNor: i’m laughing. but its because you unnecessarily admitted that Ms. Pac Man makes you crazy - this game is a card game. probably shoulda been more clear… but, hey, we woulda missed out on your fun!

  • TheNorEaster // April 18, 2008 at 9:38 am

    Hey, wait. Sex change card games? What the heck ever happened to “Gold Fish?”

  • Fred McKinnon // April 18, 2008 at 10:11 am

    Sounds and looks like a real edifying piece of work! ;-)

  • mandythompson // April 18, 2008 at 10:17 am

    TheNor & Fred: its SOOOOOOO much fun to play. really really funny spoofs on monsters and society and people. i love it - but, it does have a few racy cards/characters as well. the game, in its entirety, is NOT about sex-changes…. just a small little dungeon with a few rule modifications - that’s all. we’re not wierdos! we’re seminary students - we’re your future pastors/ministers!!! he he he he he!!!

  • Becca // April 18, 2008 at 11:27 am

    I thought it was “go fish” ?

    anyway.
    That’s the scariest game I’ve ever heard of. I think I’ll stick to Go Fish.

    Taming the tongue.
    When I’m tempted to be mean about someone outloud, I think to myself, “I’m about to say something that could be harmful to my brother or sister. Is it necessary that I speak at all? How will it benefit those around me? Will it lift ME up, or God? Don’t I want to become more like Jesus and less like..me?”

    And still there are other times something starts coming out of me, and I stop myself short. I just stop talking about it- and intentionally move on to something else.

    But what about those internal thoughts?
    Personally, I need to have a conversation with myself and Jesus. “Are the things that I’m thinking good for me to be pondering, mulling over, chewing and meditating on as much as I seem to be? God… rid me of my freaking judgmental thoughts.” and then I pray some more until I feel like the thoughts have diminished.

    It’s difficult. We (girls) thrive so much on being the bearer of evil news often times (gossip), as tough as it is to admit that, but it’s true- we love being that person who knows inside stuff. But all it does is puff ourselves up, and push someone else down. I do NOT want to be a person of that kind of character. Yuck. I’ve noticed I do struggle moreso with internal dialogue than I do speaking it, but it is still judgment. When I know I’m being judgmental inside the noggin I guess I recognize the need to stop those thoughts from developing any further.
    Jesus talked about the seed and leven in bread, and how just a tiny bit spreads- even the smallest seed can grow into something gargantuan. We need to stop those thoughts before they grow into something monumental.

  • Joe Louthan // April 18, 2008 at 11:46 am

    Mandy: You are cool.

    I know Munchkin all too well. I have that game in the back of my car just in case the day or night calls for a game of Munchkin.

  • TheNorEaster // April 18, 2008 at 2:09 pm

    Becca:

    It is “Go Fish,” but when you don’t understand Ms. Pac Man you’re allowed to make a few mental adjustments, he said, hoping that making fun of himself would prevent others from making of him.

    Mandy:

    You kidding? Your gaming habits don’t scare me none! I’m an unofficial co-founder of THE most unsuccessful church in the history of Christianity: The Church of Misfits: A Place For The Rest of Us. You want scary? Come to my house on Tuesday nights. You’ll GET scary! ;)

  • blessed1 // April 18, 2008 at 4:14 pm

    That game sounds crazy…but I loved your post. I’m working on this issue myself and I have to keep what Jesus would want me to have in my heart, head, and speech at all times. The second I don’t my mouth gets the best of me and I have guilt over my words.

  • mandythompson // April 18, 2008 at 4:49 pm

    Becca: yes - sometimes we just have to CHANGE the subject. so true!!!

    Joe: YAY!!! A FELLOW GAMER!

    TheNor: :) sounds like y’all are the weird crazy ones!!!

    Blessed1: guilt over our words. yes. that’s a tough one… because we can’t take them back, can we? ugh…. its the worst feeling ever.

  • blessed1 // April 18, 2008 at 4:55 pm

    Mandy thanks for stopping by mine! I think your blog is amazing.

  • edfromct // April 18, 2008 at 6:35 pm

    What I really like about your game is that you make up your own rules. If seminary students can think up and play a gender bending game there is hope for the world. :)

    I think of that “game” Calvin and Hobbes played were they made up the rules as they played.

    I can’t give anyone else advice on filters because mine is usually broken. Clearly one of my biggest character flaws. What seems so perfect in my head comes out so dumb when I write it.

    You are right filters are important because it is too easy to hurt someone else when I don’t think long, and clearly, enough about what I say. I have become better at using a thought filter when speaking to someone face to face. I tried the trick of thinking how my grandmother would react to what I want to say. If it can pass the grandmother test it should be okay. :)

  • TheNorEaster // April 18, 2008 at 8:16 pm

    Mandy:

    Nah, we’re not the weird, crazy ones. We’re just the ones who think apples make a good pie and oranges are glad we didn’t say banananananananananana….And I know how to spell banananananananan, I just don’t know when to stop. And plus…I forgot what I was going to say.

  • Indian Lake Papa // April 18, 2008 at 9:52 pm

    (hesitating) I usually pause before I stick my foot in my mouth! (hesitating again) See - it works!

  • lovewillbringustogether // April 20, 2008 at 9:26 am

    OK - here’s one that might work for all the Christians in the house…

    BEFORE YOU SAY ANYTHING - to ANYONE (or type)…FIRST Repeat after Me…

    “Dear Jesus, please let this come out the way YOU would have said it if I were You.”

    Now all you have to do is pray for your memory to improve so you remember to do this EVERY single time you ’speak’ to others.

    Here is one reason why we don’t.

    (Edited by author - this was going to be a VERY long comment so i have cut it and will paste it into a post on my blog - if you want to know ‘WHY’ then you’ll have to come over and read it (how’s that for shameless, Alece?? :-) )

    <B

  • “Why” (we are not all that good at ’self-control’ sometimes) « Lovewillbringustogether’s Weblog // April 20, 2008 at 9:39 am

    [...] Sharp Iron (101) “Why” (we are not all that good at ’self-control’ sometimes) April 20, 2008, 9:36 pm Filed under: Opinion/Comment, Science/Nature  ( Response to comment on Mandy’s blog) [...]

  • Leilanni // April 20, 2008 at 1:14 pm

    Good stuff! So timely - the Spirit convicted me yesterday about having a critical tongue towards hubby lately so I’ve been doing some thinkin’ on this taming business.

    Alece - so, so, so right. The more I think about trying not to be critical the harder it is. So . . .add more light, huh. Love it!!

  • brandy // April 20, 2008 at 4:42 pm

    Ahhhh yes….I find I need to filter when my emotions get the better of me. I read Love’s response to this on his blog which led me to this topic (I really should just put you on my roll b/c I seem to end up here daily anyway! haha! :lol: ).

    “Don’t say anything nice if you can’t say anything at all”

    That is usually the route I have to take. Since I am so emotionally charged (and we can’t trust our emotions now can we?) I find that I need to not say anything usually. If I say what I want, I will regret it later. If I try to alter what I say, I usually end up lying or sugar coating my response. Neither one of those is a good situation. One way, I embarrass myself. The other way, I am not being true to myself either.

    I have found that not everyone needs to know my thoughts or opinions on things, especially when it could cause a rift or hurt someone, or lead them to believe something that isn’t true about what I think? Follow? ;-)

    If I take the “don’t say anything at all” route, I find that later on the right way to address the situation comes to me (Thank you Lord!) so that if need be, I can use it. If the situation never arises again, it wasn’t that important in the first place. ;-)

    Now, all this said, it doesn’t always work out for me! :lol: haha! Like I said, I am a very emotional person in my thinking and responding, and sometimes it gets the better of me. :( However, I am a work in progress.

    Shoot dang! I just stole Tam’s tagline! :lol: hahaha!

  • mandythompson // April 20, 2008 at 5:11 pm

    Brandy: i think you’re wise to go the “don’t say anything at all” route. yes yes yes!

    TheNor: You crack me up! bananananananananas ha!!!

    Leilanni: i know!!! i think i have to be most “disciplined” with my husband sometimes… i really do. because my words don’t always (well, hardly EVER) accurately reflect how MUCH i esteem him. wow…. yes. i think familiarity sometimes breeds criticism - because we (more than anyone else) are aware of their faults - and vice versa. its an unfortunate dynamic in marriages. one that we are wise to combat against.

  • Natalie Witcher // April 22, 2008 at 11:18 pm

    love me some munchkin!

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