To Be (a geek), or not To Be (a geek)...
...Now sometimes, that is the question.
As a part of my job, I find that presenting a certain "face" to my customers is benificial. The store I work at has become known as a sort of "Cheers" for gamers, someplace known for not just it's selection in games, but also an atmosphere of community. Yes, I have ranted in the past on this blog that there are some who walk through the door that I would rather pelt with rotten fruit than speak to, but those are actually only a small portion of the people I deal with.
But anyway, as a game shop employee (I like the term "minion", myself), it's actually beneficial to have my customers think of me as 'one of the geeks'. And really, I do see myself as one. Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, physics, Monty Python, etc... I'm well versed in it all! So it was interesting when one of my customers said that I wasn't a "real geek".
Why? I didn't play Magic, and I don't like watching anime with subtitles. In a broader sense, I don't play ANY collectible card games, and I only know so much about the Anime genre as a whole. And to tell the truth, I have no intention of changing that.
But does this change my Geek status? In my opinon, of course not. But the question comes then, "What is a Geek?" When does someone start being a geek, and when does a person just have 'geek tendancies'?
So, I've come up with my own personal checklist, and here are a few of the general items. Of course, if after reading it you think I've missed something, I'd love to hear your views *grin*
1) Have you ever taken the time to think about what goes on "unseen" in a work of fiction, preferribly in some sort of Science-Fiction or Fantasy genre? (For example: Have you thought about what it's like to live as a private citizen on Star Trek Earth?)
2) Have you ever come up with a system of any sort to organize any of your collections (Comic books, novels, DVDs, game books, movie memorabilia, ect.)? More importantly, is it only important if it makes sense to you?
3) Do you try and find ways to make your own personal fandom as exciting and interesting for others as it is for you?
There are more, but the wording doesn't stand up to examination quite yet. Maybe I'll have to make one of those online quizes....
Anyway. Geeks abound in all sorts of places. There is no true "Purebred geek", since if there was he or she would probably drive us all insane, the concentraition of Fandom being too much for our mortal minds to comprehend. I think I'll name this being Geek-Sothoth for now, as I don't want to awaken it and bring doom upon us all.
As a part of my job, I find that presenting a certain "face" to my customers is benificial. The store I work at has become known as a sort of "Cheers" for gamers, someplace known for not just it's selection in games, but also an atmosphere of community. Yes, I have ranted in the past on this blog that there are some who walk through the door that I would rather pelt with rotten fruit than speak to, but those are actually only a small portion of the people I deal with.
But anyway, as a game shop employee (I like the term "minion", myself), it's actually beneficial to have my customers think of me as 'one of the geeks'. And really, I do see myself as one. Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, physics, Monty Python, etc... I'm well versed in it all! So it was interesting when one of my customers said that I wasn't a "real geek".
Why? I didn't play Magic, and I don't like watching anime with subtitles. In a broader sense, I don't play ANY collectible card games, and I only know so much about the Anime genre as a whole. And to tell the truth, I have no intention of changing that.
But does this change my Geek status? In my opinon, of course not. But the question comes then, "What is a Geek?" When does someone start being a geek, and when does a person just have 'geek tendancies'?
So, I've come up with my own personal checklist, and here are a few of the general items. Of course, if after reading it you think I've missed something, I'd love to hear your views *grin*
1) Have you ever taken the time to think about what goes on "unseen" in a work of fiction, preferribly in some sort of Science-Fiction or Fantasy genre? (For example: Have you thought about what it's like to live as a private citizen on Star Trek Earth?)
2) Have you ever come up with a system of any sort to organize any of your collections (Comic books, novels, DVDs, game books, movie memorabilia, ect.)? More importantly, is it only important if it makes sense to you?
3) Do you try and find ways to make your own personal fandom as exciting and interesting for others as it is for you?
There are more, but the wording doesn't stand up to examination quite yet. Maybe I'll have to make one of those online quizes....
Anyway. Geeks abound in all sorts of places. There is no true "Purebred geek", since if there was he or she would probably drive us all insane, the concentraition of Fandom being too much for our mortal minds to comprehend. I think I'll name this being Geek-Sothoth for now, as I don't want to awaken it and bring doom upon us all.