Brawl for all
I didn't bother pre-ordering Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I figured I'd get it when I happened to have a few dollars to spend and was in a store that had it stocked. Well, today I was in Target browsing the Wii section for something to buy and spotted it, so I headed over to the counter to get the cashier to pull it out for me. I was standing in line when I saw two kids, apparently strangers to each other, running around the corner from the Wii aisle with the biggest smiles on their faces. "You're getting it, too?" asked one to the other. "Yeah, there's only two copies left!" And, knowing exactly what they were talking about, I was left to consider whether I was going to leave one child very disappointed, while I walked out with a game that I might not even have time to play until next weekend.
The two boys lined up behind me and were telling each other how they'd saved up their own money to buy their consoles, and how one had been "saving that $55 for soooo long." So I knew right then what I had to do. I turned and asked them if they were getting Smash Bros. Brawl, to which they responded with whiplash-inducing nods. "There's only two copies left?" I continued. "Yeah!" they said. So I stepped out of line and told them to go ahead.
I remember when I used to get that excited about games, and I wasn't about to break either of those kids hearts. I left the store empty handed, knowing I'd get the game from some other place, some other time. It just wound up that that other place and time was the Costco down the street, 5 minutes later - for $6 cheaper.