In April, when we started the show KieryGeek, I didn’t really take the time to give any bit of origin story. Mostly because I wanted to get the show off the ground, but as we make our way into season two, I thought it would be a good idea to start off on the right foot and give what will be a background for the following episodes and the way I react to things.
I didn’t grow up a gamer, and I never read any fantasy until after I got married 3 years ago. I played the PC version of Frogger and a lego racing game. We got a gamecube (which I think was obsolete at the time, but still getting games?) when I was 14ish and I played a little bit of Mario. I suck at racing games and don’t do well with FPS so I was never able, and never had the time to really get into it. I didn’t see Lord of the Rings or Star Wars until I was 16 or so, and it took me a long time to understand what was going on. Although, I started Star Wars with Episode 1 instead of Episode 4, which is possibly a crime in itself.
While I didn’t engage in the traditional geekling things growing up, I always identified as one – exhibited the same obsessive qualities (and was on a debate team, so there’s that) and was actively involved in whatever I focused on to the minute detail. If you ever feel like going at something in the constitution and lack the context, I can still dig that out and take you on. That was my obsession in school – history, context, politics, the founding, and how it has changed and relates to us today. Quantum detail – I read everything I could, had several pocket constitutions and my own copy of the federalist and antifederalist papers for context.
Everything I know about traditional geek culture, all the things I completely obsess over now, are things I’ve just really discovered in the last 3 years. Don’t come to me for comic book recommendations, but if you want to implode over Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Firefly, or MMO/RPG video games, I’m your girl.
