MIB North Extras: Director's Cut: That [Thing] You Do

Director's Cut - That [Thing] You Do

I have always been a fan of Penn and Teller (http://www.pennandteller.com/), and there are many things I have learned from them and their act. The vast majority of these learned things, surprisingly enough, have had nothing to do with actual magic tricks, but have involved WHY you should engage in various activities. Whether it's how to impress a date, why James Randi (http://www.randi.org/) is important, how to take something mundane and make it extraordinary, or how to look at something and understand how it works, Penn and Teller are much more than magicians in my book.

This brings us to the lesson of The Parrot Guy. In the introduction to P&T's book “How to Play With Your Food”, we are told the cautionary tale of The Parrot Guy, a fixture in a Caribbean bar where he sits and accepts free drinks because ... well, because he has a parrot on his shoulder. That's about it, actually. The lesson is that if you want to be The [Thing] Person, that's your call, but be prepared for the consequences, and know that you might not make the transition from “that weirdo who likes [thing]” to “The [Thing] Person”.

I coordinate four game groups. This means that I have lots of opportunities to play games, and that at least two times each week, I will be gaming. Now, based on my efforts to recruit and support the groups, I have a reputation for being knowledgeable about games. If someone wants an opinion about a game, or an opportunity to play a game, they often come looking for me. In many ways, I exhibit the qualities of The Game Guy.

But, I also make time for my other passions and hobbies. These range from the geeky (comic books, arcade games) to the practical (cooking, writing), to the unique (marching band announcer, freelance television staff). When I say that games are means of social interaction and introduction, I mean it; playing a game might mean a chance to talk about Mid-American Conference football (go Rockets!) or favorite spices (nutmeg, hands down) or some combination (“I was reading the Iron Wok Jan manga on the band bus yesterday, and I got to the part about using sheep brains in custard”).

Each of these things occupies a part of my free time, and each thing contributes experiences and skills that can be used to improve the others. I don't mind people that want to talk games with me, because it means they WANT to talk games with me. I'm not that scary guy that always wants to talk about my last game in excruciating detail, causing people to slink off as I enter their field of vision. Games are something I'm very good at, that I have a knack for teaching, and that I use to enhance social gatherings. My goal is to give people a reason to seek me out, and for them to anticipate doing so. For me, it's important to be more than The Game Guy, even if it's a label that I'm willing to accept.