The conversion is setting in. I mean, the framework was laid years ago, I don’t know how far back… maybe it started out that a bunch of the folks in the co-housing where I grew up were avid Trekkies, and got me watching Next Generation with them? That at some point we somehow got the idea to go to an actual convention* or two? And that my crew of friends in middle school were all nuts for Red Dwarf? Yes, the foundation of Ultimate Geekhood was always there, deceptively subtle amongst the organic gardening obsession, the love of nature and fresh air and the absolute glaring lack of hand-eye coordination that most modern day “Gamers” possess.
I studied Latin, for FUN, starting at age 15. I read sci fi and developed a real affinity for the movie Starship Troopers, for dragons in general (though I’m quiet about that one), and truly enjoyed sitting through all three Lord of the Rings movies (not all at once though!) and even enjoyed the fight scenes. I admit it: I like Harry Potter. I went to a school with lots of castle-like buildings, and it was fun to pretend it was kind of like Hogwarts. Mind you, I did not play “Quidditch” with non-flying brooms like a bunch of escaped mental patients like some of the gals at my nerdy, academic, socially backassward college, but still… I dug the cloisters, turrets, and especially the gargoyles. Oh yeah, I adore gargoyles to the point where people know this and I have received them as gifts from time to time. My point is, I pursued that nerdiness. I mean, come on, I blog. I link to relevant external information. For Chrissakes, I like to end emails and chat conversations with < / virginia > for fun. This should not be a surprise, right?
Yes, let’s not kid ourselves, the foundation was laid; the seed was already planted, just waiting to germinate. And then, THEN, I got this job at Devir, selling Magic and D&D and all sorts of other things. I start playing the Magic Online tutorial to make sure I know how the product I’m selling works. I ATTEND a MTG (that’s shorthand for Magic: The Gathering, for the laymen) TOURNAMENT (for work, I swear!) to try and get a handle on these, since my job consists of coordinating tournaments and tournament support in Latin America. Then I started dating G. I make him show me his favorite video games, make him let me play nostalgic ones that I used to watch my friends play as a kid (seriously, I used to just watch, I never wanted to actually have my turn back then). I start enjoying videogames OTHER than Tetris and Solitaire (I never was much one for Minesweeper; go figure). I get jealous of G’s friends’ cool video game console toy thingies like guitars and full-size arcade games and DDR** boards and whatnot. I get the Super Mario Bros. 1 theme song stuck in my head randomly all the time now. I changed my messenger alert sounds to that “1-up” noise, and I changed my icon to Princess Peach because I like that there’s a blonde female Nintendo heroine that can suitably function as my avatar. I use words like “avatar”. I start getting excited when new D&D Minis figures hit the market (have you SEEN the Gargantuan Black Dragon?!) and whatnot. I LIKE THE GAMES, it turns out. I mean, I shower, I wear non-goth clothes, I rarely use eyeliner, and I had to have a business contact’s D&D-related email signature quote*** explained to me. I’m not exactly a full-blown gamer yet, per se. Yet. But the games are seeping into my life, bit by bit, slowly but surely taking hold.
I swear I’m going somewhere here. It’ll be cathartic; wait for it.
So yesterday and today, the final steps were taken. Somewhere between seeing the new Horrorclix (TM) Cthulhu figures and remembering that I’m excited about the Cthulhu movie and reading up on it and learning that it was related to that Dagon movie that came out while I was in Spain but couldn’t see because no one wanted to see it with me and I couldn’t very well watch such a scary movie by myself (and of course then I had to go RENT Dagon) and asking my boss to loan me the original book of short stories both are based on, and getting invited to the Penny Arcade Expo and being really excited about it, and finding out my boss is sponsoring all his employees if they want to go, and considering asking him if I could just buy the two 20-sided dice that I had borrowed to use during my Latin class as a study aide, something clicked in my head. I TRIED TO PURCHASE D20s. I CALL THEM D20s.
It is official. I have been converted. I am one of them now. If ever there was any doubt in your mind, know now that I wholeheartedly embrace my nerd/geek/whatever status. And it’s kinda fun ;)
* Oh, the convention: you know what? I’m gonna save that story for Craigslist, and see if it makes Best-Of. Because it’s definitely worthy. I’ll post the link if it wins.
**Dance Dance Revolution, baby. I have yet to play, but I can’t wait!
***”Chaotic Neutral means never having to say you’re sorry.”