Almost all of my time in elementary school was spent in front of a computer...

...and when the internet was choppy and difficult to connect to (which was about 80% of the time), I would spend that time playing CD-ROMs (games, that is).

CD-ROM is short for compact disc read-only memory. Aside from games, these discs also held software, computer data, and audio. They were popularized as a form of media storage in the 1990s and early 2000s. Forget about making mixtapes. It was all about burning CDs. This shrine, however, is dedicated to the various games that would be stored on these discs.

A reward for good grades, sometimes a present for a birthday or holiday... all I know is I have my parents and older siblings to thank for the development of my collection.

Whether it was a trip to Fry's or K.B. Toys, as soon as I walked in, I made a beeline for the computer games. I wasn't interested in toys anymore. "Oh no, those are for little kids" I thought to myself (still a very little kid). I would contemplate quietly on which box I should choose to take home. "I need this because it's the third in the series... but I just saw the commercial for this one and the dress-up games looked sooo cute! Oh but THIS one is 3-D..." I had so much to consider.

The CDs displayed here are some of the few I played quite literally to destruction. I'm talking completely scratched up and unable to read. But they were loved! So, so loved.

• Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When It's Dark Outside (1996), Humongous Entertainment
• Tamagotchi (1997), Bandai Digital Entertainment
• The 3D Adventures of Sailor Moon (1997), 3VR
• Backyard Baseball (1997), Humongous Entertainment
• Rockett's New School (1997), Purple Moon
• RollerCoaster Tycoon (1999), Hasbro Interactive
• Diva Starz (2000), Mattel Interactive
• Nancy Drew: Message In A Haunted Mansion (2000), HeR Interactive
• The Sims (2000), Maxis & Electronic Arts

CD-ROMs were also available to borrow at my local library. I remember playing sooo many from there, but, naturally, I've completely forgotten their titles. My search continues through media archives for those lost few discs I connected with so personally.