Well, summer is here yet again! School is out, family vacations are being planned, job applications are being filled out, sleep paterns are being changed, and people who have little or no money on there hands are trying hard to find activities for themselves and or their children.  You know, I’ve lived here all my life and for the majority of my life as a teen, I have heard the same old argument over and over and over again.  Anyone who’s lived here long enough knows what I’m talking about,” There’s nothing to do here in Victoria. There are no activities to attract the ages 10 and up  except school and church sponsored events. “  Actually, I kinda threw in the church part. However, if you trully think about it, you might see the point I’m trying to make here. The last time you actually drove around Victoria, how many church billboards did you see for Vacation Bible School? How many of you have kids in some kind of sport or UIL and their prepping themselves for the next event? With the exception of the mall and probably Crossfire, there’s hardly nothing for kids or teens to do in Victoria. Victoria is a town with a lot of history and tradition rooted in it’s foundation, and that’s a good thing; don’t get me wrong because that in turn attracts more businesses. And it is also practically the center of the Golden Crescent in Texas. Where do people get the good jobs like Sperion and Startek? Victoria. Which town has the most retail in the Golden Crescent? Victoria. Heck, people from towns like Yoakum and Cuero come HERE to do their grocery shopping.

Victoria is many things, and it is also undergoing many different changes.  More retail stores are moving in, more jobs are being created, places that are already here are hiring at this very moment as I write this, the new schools are fixing to be built, and their fixing Laurent street.  Victoria is in the process of transitioning itself from a large town into a small city. We are starting to take after some of our city neighbors like Houston or San Antonio.

Now, I’ve never been a sports fan. (I can invision the shocked faces of people who are reading this) I’ve also never been motivated enough to take part in the UIL events. However, there was one hobby that caught my attention. “Yu-Gi-Oh!”.  Yep, I said it. Now before you start snickering and scoffing, you’d be surprise at the amount of time, skill, and money that is vested into this game. You’d also be surprised to note that the people who play this game are ordinary people like you or me, have jobs  and apart from playing the game, lead ordinary lives like you or me.Case and point: Tony Yarbrough. I think atleast some of should know who Mr. Yarbrough is. His son was featured in the Community Crosswords section of the paper for having received an art scholarship. He and his wife also head up there own advertising business known as TryDesign. Mr. Yarbrough, as well as his son used to play the game. Mr. Yarbrough also headed up local gathering called “The Duelist League” which was held first at ToysR Us, and then at Hastings. Then, long story short, Mr. Yarbrough got caught up in other things and the League began to wither and die.

Now, why am I sharing this with you all? Because I seek to bring back this concept that Mr.Yarbrough had working so well however short the time.  “Yu-Gi-Oh!” is very fun and fast paced game. There is always something new going on within it.  It’ s a great way to socialize with peers. The game is also very age friendly. What I mean by that is nearly anyone can play regardless of age .  Your son or daughter would have the chance to play in a fun and competitive environment.  It’s also dirt cheap to get started.  You can go out and buy a deck of cards with a user guide and rule book for as little as 12 bucks.  One of the last benefits I would like to point out is that it can be an easy way for you to connect with your child. Your child would also be in contact with people who’d also be able to help him/her if they need it.

Last points: I am trying to bring this back here in Victoria. I am not doing this for monetary gain or anthing like that. I am trying to bring it back in order to recreate that evironment that we had back when Mr.Yarbrough lead it. I am also trying to give back to community by creating something entertaining for people who perhaps play this game or are interested in playing the game but don’t know how. However, I cannot do this alone. I need some community support. A little from the newspaper would’nt go amiss either.  Seeing as how Victoria is growing and is also the center of  the Crescent, I am writing this in hopes that someone will take an interest.  I am open to all criticism and comments. If you would prefer to converse with me in private via email, then my email address is richard_garcia201508@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading.