Instead of Open Critique Day, I want to try something new -- I think we should all get to know each other better. To that end, in the comments below I invite you to answer the following question about yourself:
Describe a point in your life when you experienced a moment of "Eurgeeka!", when you were able to admit to yourself that you are indeed a geek in some way.
Each person who does can ask me, Jeff Hebert™, any one question you like and I will answer truthfully -- about HeroMachine, the blog, something more personal, whatever you like.
I'll start off with an example of eurgeeka from my own life.
You want me to sign what?
I went to my first (and only) Star Trek convention in Texas with my buddy John and this unbelievably gorgeous woman with whom he worked. (Incidentally, for a really good time, take a beautiful lady to a Star Trek convention. It's like watching cars slide out of control on icy roads as your fellow male geeks crash into each other in her wake.) You'd think just going to a Star Trek convention in the first place would make you feel pretty geeky, but no.
As part of the weekend we attended a film marathon where they showed all five (at the time) Star Trek movies in a row. Back to back. Even the awful ones. And you know, after eight and a half hours of constant Trek, the fifth movie isn't all that bad. You just have to break down your resistance first.
But even that wasn't my moment of eurgeeka.
That was reserved for an earlier interview session with Michael Dorn, the actor who played Worf in the Next Generation. It was a lively, interesting talk and I enjoyed hearing from a working professional about how they do what they do. But after his talk they opened the floor to questions and answers, wherein a parade of people offered him gifts of one sort or another. It was like watching natives pile up offerings to an idol. One guy gave him a hand-crafted Bajoran nose-ear ring, and actually asked him to put it on right there.
"I am NOT wearing an earring," I believe was the response, delivered with that distinctive Worf growling undertone. Apparently dating a Betazoid makes you grumpy.
Whereupon Jeff, another buddy along with us, leaned over and said in his best Simpsons pimply teenager voice, "Mister Dorn, would you sign my ass?" We all lost it, and the relief of humor ushered in my overwhelming sense of eurgeeka -- I was at a Star Trek convention, staring down the prospect of ten hours straight of Star Trek movies later that evening, surrounded by people who thought nothing of acting other grown men to sign various embarrassing items and wear jewelry, and I was going to laugh at them?! I was one of them -- I was a geek, and there was no denying it!
So lay it out there, tell us your favorite moment of self-realization when you experienced nerdvana, a moment when the circle of geek became complete and you felt fully, gloriously, unabashedly your nerdiest self and loved it!
