It’s that time again. The start of football season means the beginning of something else – Fantasy Football.

I never really got it. You watch the game on TV, have the opportunity to go to a game and go all out to support your favorite teams. Why do you need to add anything else to it? The craze of Fantasy Football might escape this writer, but according to wikipeida.com, there are 27 million people who play about nine-hours per week. I am sure that doesn’t include all the time they spend studying players’ stats, predictions, injuries, teammates and how they respond with them as well as pre-season performance.

But I’m reminded as I shake my head in disbelief, that there are other forms of virtual fun – one in particular that I’m quite fond of.

It’s a pretty safe assumption that everyone who reads this blog is familiar with video games. And it’s a natural progress of technology that video games would be offered “online.” Even the games you can buy in the stores can be played with other people online.

With the addition of online social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, even more virtual fun is offered. I’ll never forget the first time I noticed a friend of mine asking for weapons of mass destruction and ammunition openly on his Facebook comment feed. Much to my relief, I discovered he was playing Mafia Wars on Facebook. Friends of mine, including my husband, talked about how their “crops were ready” and “leveling up” means they get to buy more seeds, buildings, houses, animals and even ponds and rivers. After a long hold out, I jumped onto Farm Town on Facebook and yes, I’m hooked. I have my limits though. I will not play Farm Town on MySpace or Farmville on either. One virtual game is enough for me.

And it’s not all bad, mind you. I’ve talked with people from Indonesia, the Philippines, Canada, Alaska and of course other parts of the USA via Farm Town. I’ve talked to teenagers who are too young to be online, students in various stages of education, parents and grandparents. We discuss everything from the weather to religion to politics. I have added to my prayer list a mother of three in California whom I’ve never met, but she shared how her son was badly disfigured during a surgical accident. A lady from my community, whom I rarely see, hires me to work on her virtual farm and while I’m harvesting her pineapples, we talk about her struggles getting her Master’s Degree. I consider these opportunities to lift others up as an honor – one I would not have received had I not began to play.

The downsides are obvious. I could be doing much more worthwhile things with my time. I actually began playing Farm Town to keep myself from working non-stop. I do, however, have to be careful or my virtual gaming will take over my time with my children, my husband and God.

I might not get virtual football (basketball, baseball, soccer – yes, there’s fantasy leagues for all of those too) but virtual fun I do get and enjoy. And as with many things in this world today that I enjoy (TV, chocolate, coffee, sodas) moderation is the key.