Star Trek

The Vegas convention was all I hoped it would be. Entertaining stars from the shows, informative sessions, a wonderful collection of vendors, and thousands of fellow fans. Yup, it was great... and then I got home. Only a few people could understand why the convention was so much fun. Sci-fi has a bad stigma as being nerdy or geeky or not proper in social circles. But what is so bad about it, really? I enjoy Star Trek and other quality sci-fi because it encourages creativity and imagination about the possibilities of life- not just technological inventions, but the idea that all people can get along around a central goal regardless of race, age, religion, or gender.
I feel a certain sadness about leaving the convetion and coming back to the real world. I would not dare to suggest a utopian atmosphere existed, but I would say that there was a comfort and celebration in being with people who have a similar enjoyment of sci-fi. I will miss the convention and hope to attend next year for this very reason. The stars make it worth the price of admission, but the fans make it worthwhile.
So, I'm sending this out becuase there is this hobby of mine that I thoroughly enjoy and can only share it with other fans. I suppose that holds true of all hobbies but it seems sci-fi is a bit less socially acceptable than sports teams or music groups. I enjoy Star Trek. I really enjoy Star Trek. And I'm glad I'm not the only nerd out there.

It just insecure people trying to make themselves feel better.  Do you care abou their opinion?  I sure as hell don't.

Me neither. I consider the label of "normal" to be an insult.

Wish I could go to a convention one day. They sound brilliant.

But actually, there are probably more sci-fi fans out there than you realise. It's just a matter of finding them.

*one thing I did was to have my current book I was reading (usually something ds9) on the dashboard of the taxi while driving around -- and that certainly brought "out" a few fans.*

As for the bad reactions, it's all about saying "well ok you have your opinion fine but i don't care". After all, chances are half the people who laugh at you for being a sci fi nerd are obsessed with some random sports team or other, or with the state of their garden, or with Mills and Boon novels, or bloody Hannah Montana, or....

Well, you get it huh?

I was going to get the Star Trek Scene-It game when I realized that I would have NO ONE to play it with.  That's when I realized hwo isolated and alone I felt within my family. I started a thread on one of these boards looking for other Long Island trekkies. None came foward!

Yep there is that aspect to it.

I remember telling my mum at one point that if she was going to shush me every time I wanted to talk about sci-fi or mythology, then she wasn't allowed to talk to me about her stupid vegetable garden any more.

SCORE 1-0. ^_^

Quote (MarmaladeSkies @ Aug. 24 2009, 3:43 am)

It might be to one's advantage to be viewed as "normal" in professional settings such as work or school.

Like either of those are worth the bother of changing...

Quote (MarmaladeSkies @ Aug. 23 2009, 4:39 am)

Quote (WorfsGonads @ Aug. 23 2009, 3:44 am) It just insecure people trying to make themselves feel better. ?Do you care abou their opinion? ?I sure as hell don't. Good for you. I've always liked your screen name, BTW.

ty

I agree that Star Trek, and sci-fi in general, does unfortunately have a 'geek' stigma attached to it with regards to the general public. But I also think it's like this with a lot of things that people get passionate about.

No matter what I get into, I always do it 100 percent. I can never just have a passing interest in things, I have to fall totally in love with them. Now sometimes it's easy to find other people who like what I'm into...but love it to the degree that I do? Hardly ever.

I think a lot of people (or certainly where I'm from anyway) just can't be bothered to get passionate about anything.

For instance, one of my other passions besides Trek is music. I often ask people what their favourite music/who their favourite bands are, and it almost depresses me when they say "oh, I dunno, whatever's on the radio I guess".


Back to Star Trek in particular, I guess it's almost a dichotomy that it can make you feel really isolated when you realise there are no other fans near you (I'm yet to find another Brit on these boards) but at the same time it makes you feel like you're part of a big family when you find a board like this and interact with other people as in love with it as you are.

Quote (WorfsGonads @ Aug. 23 2009, 3:38 pm)

Quote (MarmaladeSkies @ Aug. 23 2009, 4:39 am) I've always liked your screen name, BTW. ty

ha ha. I hope you don't mind, but I mentioned you in the 'explain your username' thread because whenever I see you logged into the forum your name always makes me smile.

Quote (MrsStarbuck @ Aug. 24 2009, 9:46 am)

(I'm yet to find another Brit on these boards)

oh wow. There's lots.

(not me though. Geographically speaking I'm about as far from Britain as one can get without falling off the planet. And not WorfsGonads either because he's a Bicranial Taswegian.)

Perhaps if you go to 10F and start something about cricket... You'll find someone that way, practically guaranteed.

Quote (OtakuJo @ Aug. 23 2009, 4:17 pm)

Perhaps if you go to 10F and start something about cricket... You'll find someone that way, practically guaranteed.

Or the weather!

Quote (MrsStarbuck @ Aug. 23 2009, 10:48 am)

Quote (WorfsGonads @ Aug. 23 2009, 3:38 pm) Quote (MarmaladeSkies @ Aug. 23 2009, 4:39 am) I've always liked your screen name, BTW. ty ha ha. I hope you don't mind, but I mentioned you in the 'explain your username' thread because whenever I see you logged into the forum your name always makes me smile.

lol.  That was the whole point  Bringing a  smile to people's faces is a good thing.