How Farmville Stole My Summer or How I Fell in Love
By Mary Olivia Patiño: 

Working on a farm is not what I expected.  First of all, I did not expect to get ‘hooked’ on farming.  The word ‘addicted’ is more to the point.

My addiction started with an invitation from my sister, Bertha, to be her ‘Farmville’ neighbor.  Being early summer, I thought “Why not?”  With no firm vacation plans, this seemed a good way to relax from my writing.  Ever since I was a kid growing up on a dairy farm, I yearned to have my very own farm.  So, I jumped at the chance and donned  my comfortable red coveralls and old tennis shoes.   Learning  the ‘ins and outs’ of farm life took awhile, though.  Now, after a summer replete with harvests of all types:  fruit, flowers, plants, animals, working around the stable, barns and opening my very own market stalls, …I feel as if I finally reached  a ‘master’ farmer status.  I planted and cultivated pink roses, lupine, daffodils, ducks, swans, long-tailed ducks, cows and horses.  While working, I discovered all types of ‘collectibles, but still missed finding the elusive white-tailed, blue-eared, polka-dotted unicorn (okay, that is a mystical creature and not to be found on a farm).  I am making this up, of course. For weeks, I calculated which crop to seed, how many plots to use, when the crops would be ready and what to buy with my proceeds.  Sometimes, my work was ‘hit and miss’, but ultimately, I must say that it was a good season.  Visiting my neighbors’ farms, I marveled over the beautiful landscapes as I shared their farm tasks, me being a good neighbor and all.  On occasion, I’d see a particular decoration or building and envision earning it someday.

But wait!  What I always wanted on Farmville, from the very first moment, was the one thing that I fell in love with at first sight! 
A dog!  As I browsed through the Farm Market, I dreamed of a sheltie (faint memories of Lassie on the farm?) but he cost too much.  One day, out of a clear blue sky, (or was it night?) came the opportunity to buy a different breed of dog for only $5,000!!  I had just managed to scrape up that amount, after seeding, harvesting, paying bills...  Was it in my budget?  Was there a question about buying him?  No way!  I grabbed the puppy and, after choosing its gender, I took it to my farm.  Thus, Esmeralda came to join me on the farm.  I always wanted to name a child Esmeralda, ever since seeing that name in The Hunchback of Notre Dame”.  My sister warned me that having a dog was a big responsibility.  “You have to feed it every day for fourteen days, or it will run away!”

Horrors!

What could I do to make sure my little Esmeralda was taken care of properly?  No more meetings or writing groups to attend around her feeding time; no more ‘novelas’ to watch, or visits to friends.  Cancel all of that!
For fourteen nights, the 8 o’clock hour marked an important milestone.  I was so scared that if I missed her feeding time, Esmeralda would find another home (i.e., go to another farm).  It was so bad, that when a friend invited me over one Friday night, the words tumbled out, “I’ll go, on one condition:  that I can feed my puppy!”  “What?  You have another dog?”
“Yes, her name is Esmeralda.  You gotta let me feed her on my farm, Farmville, that is!”  Amid remarks of “Oh, my goodness; all right, you can feed your dog!” she agreed to let me use her computer.  So, yes, I fed my little puppy at the appointed time, taking a short break from our game of Rummikub.

At each feeding, I felt Esmeralda bonding with me.  We stuck to our schedule, although I did plead with my sister to substitute- feed for me one evening when I had another important commitment.   I trusted her and she came through!
Imagine my joy when, after completing her feeding regiment, Esmeralda rolled over in happiness!  My delight, peppered with ‘whoops’, lasted a short time, though, for I discovered that a new routine was to begin:  Obedience Training School.    Now, I had another responsibility:  give her ‘treats’ at the appointed time so she could advance in her training to Level 5, i.e., harvesting ducks, and so forth.

There’s a lot more to share about Esmeralda and our little adventures, but let’s leave that for another time.  Suffice it to say that Esmeralda and I are very happy, working together on the farm.  Oh, except, I discovered that she ‘tuckers’ out after harvesting the ducks.
 I am very fortunate to only afford one dog at this time.  Some of my Farmville neighbors have three dogs! 

Thanks for stopping by and stay posted for my next Farmville story:  “An Interview with a Farmer”.
P.S.  For those who are not familiar with this addiction, ‘Farmville’ is a game on Facebook.com.
And the dollars that I spend is ‘virtual’ money/ FV cash. There is no way that I will spend real money on this game.
Question for reflection:  Reflecting on the commitment I made in helping my Farmville neighbors with their chores made me think:  “What kind of neighbor am I in real life?  Do I visit my neighbors?  Do I even know their names?”  The very next afternoon, after considering this question, I walked across the street to my favorite neighbors’ home for a cup of hot tea and a relaxing conversation.  I may not know all my neighbors’ names, but at least I can work on strengthening the bonds with those I know.
As I see it, Farmville is more than a game.  It is a sociological experiment.  More on this later.

Please stay posted!