something that is real

This world of dew
is only a world of dew—
and yet

~Issa

my girlfriend left me for a wookie

Normally, I ignore memes and online quizzes and the like as being a pointless waste of time. Every once and a while, when I'm bored or curious, I fill one out. If the results particularly amuse or intrigue me, then I'll actually bother to post one up here (see the recent 'Pony' Quiz, below).

As for this one . . . well, I happen to be exceptionally proud of my geekiness. And having been tapped by the estimable daharmaster as being one of the geekiest people she knows, I could only pay back the incredible compliment by filling out the blasted thing.

So.

List 5 reasons why you are a geek. And make them good reasons. Justify them. Explain them. Be loud and proud about how big of a geek you are! Then pick the 6 biggest geeks you know and have them do the meme.

1) Why don't I do this chronologically and start with my first foray into geekiness? . . . okay, I don't know if being horse-crazy or a social outcast counts, so we'll skip those. I got into reading fantasy in a big way during the 6th grade, and never managed to get myself out of it. Damn glad, too. The author who pulled me in was Anne McCaffrey, though I couldn't tell you if I'm proud of that or not. Of course I was a big reader beforehand, but never to such concentrated purpose . . . I have many favorite authors and books, too many to list here. But ask me if you're curious.

2) I started participating in online writing/RPing groups as of middle school, as well. As per my Anne McCaffrey obsession, it was of course Pern RPing. The weyr that I joined, and to this day treasure in my heart above all others, was Starshine-- and a more creative, fun, talented, and sometimes downright silly group of geeks I have yet to meet. Gods, I miss it. It was the start of many things for me (Resharra I also remember with great fondness), and though I'm no longer active in any online writing/RPing groups, I still have a great fondness for them. I still RP (see #4), I still write, but this was a class by itself.

3) Yes, I read comic books. Although now I've switched almost excluseively to manga, due to my propensity to be out of the country for extended periods of time, and hence unable to accquire serialized American comics. Not to mention the expense of doing so, and the room that they take up. I started in middle school with the X-Men, and stuck with them for a very long time. Also passed through other Marvel comics, a phase of devotion to Star Wars comics, a big leap up to Vertigo (Sandman, Transmetropolitan, I adore you), and now I'm mostly about manga (currently collecting/reading Threads of Time, Full Metal Alchemist, Death Note, Bleach . . .)

4) I adore RPing, it's tons of fun. I'm talking dice here, not online chatroom/email RPs (though I've done those, too, see number 2). I tend to stick to tabletop, mostly because the LARPs I've been to have been all White Wolf Vampire and very, very boring. Although I did LARP Call of Cthulu, and that was a lot of fun. I started with D&D when I was in high school, then did various White Wolf RPs in college. I've also done Seventh Sea, Unknown Armies, and various others.

5) Here's one of my slightly less conventional geeky persuits-- Renaissance Faires and the Society for Creative Anachronism. Dressing up in garb and gadding about the faire, feasting medieval-style at an SCA event, watching jousts and pitched battles, wandering the lists, browsing open-air markets, listening to the harp, the hurdy-gurdy, the lute . . . I love it, I love wandering through the crowds and the dust and the puddles, I love learning the history and the lore, I love having a knife and a belt-pouch as constant companions, I love being around people who understand, and love it as much as I do.

As for picking five people, I'm going by liklihood of response and my own curiosity . . . so, lazy_as_a_cat, aiara, lucifermourning, majochan, vash_donutangel, and faerieboots, you're up!