Alternate Lives

Some people, it seems, have alternate lives.

I've heard it multiple times, in different forms. "Don't tell my other friends I play this game." "My real-life friends don't know about the nerdy message boards I'm a part of online." "Please don't mention anything about this interest we share on Facebook, even if it is innocent. My other friends will think it's weird." "My school friends think having online friends is weird."

I've never really understood it, to tell the truth.

I've had online friends for more of my life than I haven't. I value them-- you! I've never thought it's weird to have friends online-- no weirder than having snail mail penpals. Yeah, maybe the conversations don't happen face-to-face, but they still happen. Thoughts and emotions still get shared and expressed, sometimes more frankly and honestly than can be easily stated verbally.

I've never made anything about myself much of a secret. The interests I had were always obvious enough, and I talk about them if engaged. The games I've played and still play are things I'm always willing to talk about. Even my "nerdiest" pastimes, like EverQuest2 or a "cyperpet" forum where people "adopt out" little images of fantastic creatures and make up stories about them is within the limits of what I'll talk about.

Do people think some of that is weird? Yeah, sometimes. Do I care? No. We all have different interests and hobbies. I'd rather exercise my art & creative writing skills with roleplay on a forum than spend hours messing around with makeup and hairdos. To each their own.

I'll always be thankful for the fact that my friends have and would never seriously mock any of my pastimes. Sure, Scott and his brother might tease me about my collection of fictional ponies, but that's fine. I can tease them right back about their flying airship squid adventures. If any of my friends did really mock anything I did, though, they'd quickly find themselves out of my circle, anyway.

I guess I just think it's sad that not everyone thinks that way, and not everyone can trust their 'friends' to allow them to have their own interests. Intolerance of the hobbies of others is pretty much the lamest hobby a person can have, in my book.

So, rock on to everyone with weird hobbies, or normal ones, too! Do what you enjoy. :)