I can't believe I live in a world where I'm actually writing this blog entry.

I'd like to preface this by expressing my deepest gratitude for the wonderful, generous people who have showered me with gifts over the past few years, especially during various holiday Steam Sales.

That said, I have an important request to make:

Don't do it anymore.

Why would I ever turn down free stuff? Well, for a number of reasons. First of all, I still have a backlog of games I need to work through and I don't want to make it even larger. Second, I don't have as much time to spend on gaming these days so I'd feel bad about not playing a game I was gifted; I still have some gifted titles that I've barely touched. Mostly though, I can't handle the guilt. I write this blog entry as I'm about to leave for a job interview, but the simple fact of the matter is I don't have a job right now. Receiving gifts without the capacity for returning the gesture hurts me. I cannot in good conscience spend money I shouldn't on gifts for other people, but it wouldn't feel fair to me to keep getting gifts from others. Now, I'm fully aware that you may be doing this out of the goodness of your heart without any thought of getting something in return, especially if you're at all like me. When it gets down to it though, I'm not asking this for your sake, I'm asking it for mine. I don't want it resting on my conscience making me feel guilty. Yeah, that's something I'm working to get past but until then, this is how it goes.

So that's that. Thanks again to all you wonderful people and I'm sorry that I haven't been able to give as much in return. Consider this a forewarning that any attempts to gift me any games this year will be turned down. I don't care if you've already paid for the title, I will be clicking the "decline" button.

What kind of crazy world am I living in?