I'm a Geek.

I'm a geek.

I'm a 46-year old lover of video games. I have a VERY goofy sense of humor. I love most science fiction, but I am a "Star Wars" fanatic. I dress in a Jedi costume and go out in public with my friends in The Rebel Legion and The 501st Legion. I have shelves full of toys, miniatures, and action figures. I have a number of swords hanging on my wall. I have a huge cutaway poster of the NCC-1701-D Enterprise hanging in my kitchen. I have a couple of costumes I like to wear to renaissance faires, and I love to roleplay using an English accent when I do. I love watching cartoons, especially the classics. I read comics and I love to draw superheroes. I've seen all the Marvel and DC superhero movies multiple times, and I even enjoy the ones that few others seem to like ("Green Lantern", "Daredevil", etc). I even played Dungeons & Dragons once upon a time.

Yes... I'm a geek. 

And I'm good with it. Actually, I'm proud of it. For a long time, I worried what people thought. Would they think I was a wacko? That I was some socially inept nerd that never left his house and had no friends? That used to bother me... but no longer. I have a large number of friends that accept me as I am, and a few very close friends who share in my geekiness. I've had some people say that I might not ever find a woman who will accept me, but I WAS married for 14 years (divorced a few years back) and have two awesome sons who love Star Wars and superheroes like I do, and we watch sci-fi flicks and play video games together. Eventually, I'll find a lady who appreciates many of the same things I do, and would like to share a mutual enjoyment of those things. I have seen a number of couples that cosplay together, so I know it's possible, and I remain hopeful.

So, do I feel embarrassed by the way that I am? Am I worried that people might think me strange? That I might be shunned for those things that I love? Nope. Absolutely not. If I was concerned, I wouldn't be driving around town with a license plate on my car that says, "IM JEDI".

I also have a number of other qualities as well. I'm a Christian. I play piano by ear, I absolutely love to sing, and am part of the praise & worship band in my church. I love to cook, and my kids really enjoy their "daddy cooking". I am an artist, and a graphic designer by trade. 

All these diverse elements come together to make me who I am... and I really like that person. Am I perfect? Not by a long shot. Have I made mistakes? Most definitely. But I always strive to improve and be more than I am, while never being ashamed of the man that I have come to be.

To quote Mystique from "X-Men: First Class": "Mutant, and proud."