Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The party, as it turned out, was a tight, low-key affair that was far more understated than I had imagined. What I had pictured was a kind of nerd bacchanal, with a chiptune DJ presiding over the festivities and intoning everybody to get this party up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-a-b-started, if you know what I mean. No, it was more of a normal house party with geek elements layered on top of it–music, a few costumed attendees, delicious cookies shaped like Invincibility Stars, and, of course, video games.

I’m glad I was there, though for reasons tangential to the ones you might suspect. Sure, I had fun. There were good conversations, plenty to eat, and more than enough to drink. And when Super Smash Bros. was fired up? Still got it. But it wasn’t my crowd. It was the same feeling I’ve had when interacting with people at church or the alumni association, where the pieces, however close they may seem, don’t quite fit together. Or maybe that is the definition of a community, and this crazy notion I have–meeting people with whom I’d feel completely at home–is really a fool’s errand.

Still, like I said, it was a worthwhile outing. It was an opportunity to hone another language, to speak geek, and you never know when that might come in handy. I’m going to sign off now and clock in some more time with Breaking Bad. It’s the show of the moment for me. It’s actually the only thing I’m watching, unbelievably. I had heard about the premise of the series, but kept neglecting to try it. You know why I pulled the trigger? Boo Bear. When she raved about it, I was intrigued. It was like a mother superior saying, “Hey! It’s okay to try it. It’s okay to try it, as long as you don’t inhale.”