Childhood Entertainment

Morning! Would you believe how time flies - it's already almost time for cooler temperatures and extra layers and backyard grilling - in temperatures we can actually bear!

I was thinking about what to write this morning, as I have not kept my promise to myself of keeping a daily writing habit. As I was browsing through Facebook, Frank posted on my wall a picture of a childhood toy with the caption, "Remember what we did for fun before the internet?"
Ah, yes, I remember the Waterfuls. There were several different games, and I distinctly remember breaking them. The water always smelled foul, and the damned things were useless with no water in them! But more than those Waterfuls, I remember a similar item that was filled with colored oil and water, the perfect distraction when there was nothing to do at grandma's house.

There were some where you could control the size of the oil droplets, I think, and I remember spending hours marveling at these devices.

Pre-internet toys, also known as pre-ADD toys, were designed to keep us busy. For me, personally, I was the kid who "always had his nose in a book." CS Lewis' Chronicles Of Narnia; Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy; Garfield, MAD, DC and Marvel Comics (and, um, those Archie comics, too); Ann McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern books; and I can't forget the Piers Anthony Xanth books - oh, I'm sure there were many many more books than I could name here! I don't know how many kids these days read actual books, what with e-readers and tablets and the internet and video games and all the other distractions that come with the modern ADD-era. But my childhood was filled with dragons and magicians and superheroes and villains!

One of my favorite toys (that wasn't a book) was the Radio Shack 150-In-One Electronic Project Kit.

Ooops, almost out of time... But I have to mention the biggest, bestest toy I ever got: The Big Wheel! It was a birthday gift, and it was a Big Surprise - I don't know how my parents managed to hide it from me, or get it in the house, even - but I remember them hiding it in the kitchen back by the scary water heater, and that was an awesome present! I rode that thing all the time!

Am I a Geek?

Am I a geek because David Tennant and Seven of Nine make my Top 10 Laminated "List?" Am I a geek because my most common companions are a netbook and an iPhone? Am I a geek because the "SyFy channel" seems misspelled to me?

If I were a real geek, I'd be down at DragonCon. As it is, I'm just furious with myself for not going.
If I were a real geek, I'd own a copy of "Forbidden Tales of Robot Lust," instead of sneaking it out of my dad's sock drawer and reading it with my own sock ready.
If I were a real geek I'd know Seven of Nine's real name without looking it up and that Spock had a real name (Zachary Quinto) and not "that guy from Heroes."

Alas! Sometimes I fear I am a fake geek. I have no inhibition when it comes to being naked, I am bored with the selection at the Shack, and horror of horrors, I took a picture of myself with Justin Bieber's cutout once in a Wal-Mart.

Okay, maybe that last bit doesn't necessarily disqualify me.

In my defense, I do own every Harry Potter book, including a very special edition of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard," which includes a set of special edition prints, a purple velvet bag and a very special box that makes it look like a hardbound library book - well-worn, yet lovingly handled...

I like (and own) The World of Warcraft, Destroy All Humans, and once I beat every level of Super Mario Bros.

I grew up believing in Narnia, had a childhood crush on Anthony Michael Hall circa Weird Science, and believing there was something wrong with how I looked as an altar boy because that freakin' priest never touched me once!

All seriousness aside, though, I truly feel I missed the boat somewhere, some days. There are no I.T. Certificates on my wall, no technical college certifications bragging about my continuing education, and the most technical book on my shelf is the Sixth Edition of Stage Management by Lawrence Stern. Oh wait, what's this on my bookshelf? A three-ring binder whose spine says "Computer Sciences Corporation?" What's this? Open it up, and it's... um... a heavily annotated script from Little Shop of Horrors....

(sigh)

My geekdom is safe... and good thing, too, because Christopher Gorham and I have a hot date tonight and he's gonna make me Popular!