This perfectly reasonable request is aimed at the gamers, this time. As I was sitting down to start writing it, I just happened to notice this column on the Wizards site, which addresses the same topic: Gamer shame.
There are some of us gamer-type people who are a little, shall I say, timid when it comes to discussing our hobby in public. They'll avoid the topic entirely if it comes up, or just say that they're hanging out with friends when they're really raiding orc camps or saving the city from supervillians.
Maybe it comes from the early days of gaming, when most people thought that RPGs were evil and dangerous. Maybe it comes from the more recent, relaxed attitude that playing D&D is a sure-fire date repellent, and will curse you to a life sentence in your parents' basement.
Or maybe it's something else entirely. Whatever it is, my perfectly reasonable request of you is this - Don't be shy. Let your geek flag fly.
When someone asks you what you do in your spare time, tell them. When someone asks what the slogan on your shirt means, or what all those funny dice and miniatures are for, tell them.
Be prepared for the slings and arrows from some smartasses who will instantly ask if you've ever kissed a girl (or a guy, as is your preference). Most of you have partners, and some of you even have kids - take this opportunity to whip out your family photos and show them the evidence!
But don't stop there. Be open about your gaming. Wear that "Killer DM" shirt out in public (just make sure it's clean and free from Cheeto dust.) Roll up characters in the library (just roll quietly, please). Take your boffer swords to the park on a nice day. Plan your next graph-paper conquest with your comrades at a table in the food court of the local mall. Get caught reading gaming books in public - waiting for the bus, or for movie tickets, or for your cappuchino.
If I was giving out points for this, I'd give you double if you did any of the above while volunteering at a food drive, or cleaning up a public park, or offering your time and effort in any other way. Why? Because then people would see a gamer doing positive things for their community. It's something that happens all of the time, but few people ever see it.
Being more open about your hobby has several benefits. It lets people know that there are still others who play RPGs, it attracts interest in the few that have always been curious and have never tried it, and it could even help you meet other gamers in your area. It could even improve the image of gaming, when others begin to see gamers as positive members of society, instead of sniveling geeks who never venture into the sun, spending their days in dark basements engaging in the age-old Kirk-Picard debate.
Or, at the very least, it'll be one less deep, dark secret that you'll have to worry about. So, really, you've got nothing to lose.
I expect to see those geek flags flying. Don't let me down.
Tags: RPGs Advocacy
