Thursday, July 19, 2012

There was a party, almost a year ago, which capped off an alarming pattern of geeky behavior on my behalf. At the time, I regarded the event as a test to ascertain the precise depths of nerdity to which I’d descend. Now, with the same party right around the corner–birthdays reoccur around the same month, apparently–it’s less a test and more an annual check-in.

I don’t game socially anymore. That’s one change. Instead, I’ve reverted back to treating gaming as a secret shame, and I can’t say I’ve regretted the decision. In fact, I’ve taken to celebrating and reveling in my gaming guilt–and that makes it less secret, I suppose. I remember holding forth one afternoon, explaining the whys and wherefores of my regression, and the overriding feeling was relief.

My geek card wasn’t revoked, strangely enough. Far from it. Indeed, I just ordered two t-shirts for this party, a veritable 100% year-over-year increase. What’s more, I was granted access to a spreadsheet detailing the logistical underpinnings of the event. If there’s a sweet spot where shame turns into freedom, I think I’ve found it.