Do you remember inventing characters for yourself as a little kid? I remember that when I was six or seven I loved Star Trek games. I would pretend to be the captain of a huge starship (cardboard box) and I would zoom across galaxies (backyard) in search of new universes (garden bushes) and alien species (my sister). It was fun to pretend that I could bravely traverse space, even though I wasn't yet courageous enough to sleep without a night light. I think these kinds of games are essential to kids as they grow up. Pretending to be a fearless intergalactic explorer or a badass superhero helps kids build the self-confidence they need to get through childhood. This kind of confidence is especially important during adolescence because young people must learn a balance between their personal identity and the values they've been taught. Lately I've been thinking a lot about how my own childhood games compare to Stephen's. His imagination produces characters and sc...