Life as we know it

Coworkers congregated in my cubicle over some chocolate covered almonds.

“Have you seen Oakley’s article in the Daily Breeze?” Coworker #1 referred to my 15 seconds of fame.

“No,” Coworker #2.

CW#1 continued to tell CW#2 about Temple of Fresh & Easy blog.

CW#2 snorted.  “Who has time for that kind of thing?”

And of course, CW#2 ranted on about how he doesn’t have time to do the Facebook or “such nonsense” because of his busy social schedule, implying along the way that folks who do those things don’t really have a life.

That did it.

Seriously, I am getting tired of the whole implication that because I put my life online that I have nothing better to do with my time.

Do I talk down on your hobby of fixing up classic cars, pimping rides, antiquing, woodworking, gardening, or, in CW#2’s case, hanging out at bars and clubs?

You choose what to do with your free time.  You make time for your hobby.  Mine happens to be blogging, social networking, and video gaming.

Yet, these “normal people” constantly talk down to us geeks.

I used to just laugh it off and went with the “Oh, I know. I don’t have a life,” as a reply.

But I’m not going to do that any more.

Fuck you and your “normal life”.

I *do* have a life.  It’s not the same one you live or the one you think it’s “cool”.

My life is online, digitized, and pixelated.  But it’s a life I’ve chosen to live.

I find my meaning in writing and sharing my thoughts with the world, whether the world wants it or not.  I find my meaning in sharing my life with other I don’t know as a window into some new experience that is not my day-to-day.  I find my meaning in squashing the bad guys in my games with my controller until my hands cramped up.

Like I discussed with fellow Twitter-ette SallieB before, some of us have the ability to build relationships both online and off.  Some of such relationships only get better with the reinforcements from the other source.

I have human interaction with my local friends, and even better relationships with my long distance buddies.  I actually get to “meet” new people across the world I would never would have met in a bar like Rude Cactus, Steve and Richard of Thai-Blogs, Chef House, and many readers that I have come to “talk” to like Irish Cousin Robert and Amy of the Q Family.

And there’s also the new circle of friends we built around Brandon’s World of Warcraft guild and occasion gathering of the geeks at James’ house.

I put my life online originally because half of the people I know live half the world away.  Blogging was the best way to keep everyone in touch.  Not that they really swing by here often either, but I give them an option to be updated.  I know going in that if I put this online, everyone gets to see it.  I know that since I started my first website back in college.

My blog and other social networking media is a newsletter or a zine that happens to be online.

I’ve always “printed” some kind of zines since I was in 3rd grade.  It’s the same concept with a new medium.

Still my hobby.  Something I love to do and make time for.

So, go on out with your cool kids to the hip bars, “normal people”.  I’ll be right here with my computer and game console, enjoying my own life my own way.

5 Comments

  1. Amy @ The Q Family   •  

    We are geek too and we love it!! I don’t get how people like to judge other people lifes and dictate how others should live their lives according to their mess-up standard. Don’t be bother by them. You have GREAT life as I see it!

  2. kuri   •  

    Oakley FTW!

  3. Robert   •  

    Well said cousin. Well said indeed. Insufferable little gobshite. I suppose in fairness to him, it is difficult to “do the Facebook nonsense” when your head is so far up your ass. For one thing, he can’t see the keyboard.

    I know that I speak for everyone here when I say that putting your life online, in your own little corner of the web, adds a little something to all of our lives too. For instance, take me. I live half a world away, and yet for a few minutes each day I get to share in the lives of a couple of people that I never would have had the good fortune to meet in person. I think thats amazing. That, and the fact that you can spell with your butt….

    Your posts really brighten my day, and I am sure I’m not the only one. Please dont stop.

  4. chinarut   •  

    interesting introduction to you – i like your point in regards to how an online relationship is complemented by being offline and vice versa!

    my gf & I are very much discovering that right now 🙂

    nice to meet you!

  5. Olaina   •  

    Hey! As a blogging friend and a real life local friend I have to say that I have total respect for you. Blogging is not just geeking out in manner of computer geek. It’s also writing. If people thought you were writing a memoir, would they still be so rude about it? Maybe. But I love that you know who you are and what you do and that you’re cool with that. Love you!

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