I Gave Up My Playstation 5 for My Career
Photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Today, I did the unthinkable for some. I donated my Playstation 5.
Oddly, parting ways with my Playstation, a lifelong friend dating back to the original Playstation where I bought it, felt like a full circle moment.
I purchased my PS5 in 2021 on my educational baptism in Spanish, traveling to Medellín, Colombia, the first country I ever traveled to outside the US and on my own. This was when the PS5 was still very new and extremely difficult to find in stores and online. Before I made the leap, I had already been battling the idea of leaving video games behind but fell for the new NBA 2K trap… Next thing you know, I'm on my way to a local mall in Medellín where they had a brand new one for sale, for the cheap price of $800. That's right, I paid $800 for my system.
4 years later and too many hours and dollars wasted, I found myself back in Medellín, this time with my PS5. As the New Year approached, I decided it was finally time, but pulling the plug wasn't easy. I actually found it easier to delete my Instagram and take an indefinite break from my Facebook than to get rid of my PS5. It wasn't until I had one of those classic, shitty days in the REC on NBA 2k25 that I decided enough was enough. I restored my PS5 to its factory settings and disconnected the cables.
The hardest part was done, or so I thought. Now, I needed to figure out how to get rid of it.
Thankfully, in 2025, we have AI, so my brainstorming partner ChatGPT and I put our thinking caps on. I decided the best way to do it was to give it away, not just to anyone. I wanted to gift it to kids in need, kids living in the worst circumstances due to unfortunate life events, youth in hospitals or orphanages… Acarpin, Hogar de Niñez y Juventud, this one sounds promising...
So, I reached out, and they got back to me! I initially contacted a children's hospital, but they never responded. We had a brief back-and-forth conversation and set a time to meet. I was excited to finally have found a place.
When the time finally came to leave, I packed up the PS5 and headed to Copacabana. On my way there, I tried to practice staying present as thoughts flooded my mind about where I was headed, what awaited me, and if this random person driving had his own thoughts after seeing a PS5 in my bag.
I know the parts South of Calasanz pretty well, but I had never traveled to the northern part of Medellín, and all I knew about the North was that up there lay Bello and other parts of Medellín that were notoriously more dangerous for Extranjeros.
I am a spiritual person. I'm not on either extreme of the scale, but I believe in the universe and that I always have protection from my angels. As I passed through these new territories, I saw the angel number 444. I looked it up, and it said…
I immediately felt relieved and knew that I was doing the right thing.
After about 25 or so minutes of driving, we arrive at Copacabana, a very small barrio in comparison to the grandioso Ciudad, made up of a collection of about 14 barrios.
When I walked up to the building, a man outside directed me to the door, where I found a doorbell. One of the kitchen crew members came out to let me in, asking what my business was there. I explained that I was there to see Sindy and make a donation. She kindly escorted me through several rooms, including the laundry room, where she explained that the dryer had stopped working and they were hoping to receive help getting a new one. We passed through some additional hallways and up some stairs, where we found Sindy and a couple other office members.
After a brief conversation and record keeping, Director Faber gave me a tour to meet the kids. We stopped in a computer lab where a médium sized group of girls from about age 6-14 were doing what I assumed was homework. Faber introduced me, and the kids shared a beautiful welcome they were taught to do in unison whenever someone visited their home. Yes, this was their home. As Faber explained to me and from what I read online, these kids have been abandoned by their parents and guardians, abused, and abandoned in the streets to fend for themselves. This place was a new beginning, where they were treated as one big family. They did not leave these walls; this was all they knew.
I spoke briefly to the girls, explaining the gift I was giving, why I was giving it, and with all the surprising stares, how I learned to speak Spanish so well. Afterward, Faber instructed them to give their thanks; some shook my hand, and others hugged me. The one Afro-Colombian girl said she had found her dad. It was a truly priceless moment that I had not been expecting.
We stopped by another room, where we found a group of boys repeating the process. Most of the boys did not even know what a Playstation 5 was. This time, I tried my best to assure them that even people from far away have love for them. We continued our tour, visiting the rooms the kids slept in. The girls shared a large room of bunk beds, the boys another and the youngest another. They had a toy room, a cafetería and little cubbies where they had their soap and toothbrushes.
I'm not naturally impacted emotionally by moments, from the saddest to the happiest. Still, as I searched within myself, I felt a sense of turbulence. A mixture of sadness, joy, and a desire to stay there longer with them. I love kids. I always have. Since my sophomore year of high school, I have worked in summer programs with the YMCA and volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club as part of my Page Education Foundation Scholarship.
As I said my goodbyes to Faber and stood outside, confused about how to get back to the city, one of the boys yelled, "Chao!" from a window, and I promised him that he'd see me again.
Acarpin is a private non-profit institution, providing specialized care under the boarding system, covering all fundamental rights such as housing, food, clothing, education, recreation and training to children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 who are in a situation of violation.
“We cannot change our past, but with your help we can change our future”
