One person’s road less traveled may be another’s road home
While wracking my brain to think of an idea for this month’s theme of, “Off the Beaten Path,” several people suggested that my experiences last month at a gaming convention would fit. After all, Dungeons and Dragons is not [necessarily] part of everyone’s weekly schedule. The only problem with this, I was quick to realize, was that it was not off my beaten path.
I’m used to role-playing and role-players. Actually, I’m used to geeks in general. None of those four days [at Origins]-not the people in costume, not the hours spent rolling dice, and certainly not the brand of insanity you only get when a bunch of geeks really cut loose-was strange to me. Yes, I played many games I was not familiar with. Yes, I met a ton of new people. But “off the beaten path” it was not.
And then it occurred to me-my road less traveled is not yours. Professional sports are completely alien to me, but they are enjoyed by thousands of fans who are just as crazy and devoted as geeks like me. Magazines like Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan frankly amaze me, but some people seem to believe they are the source of all wisdom and knowledge.
I’m not trying to define the line between “weird” and “normal” here. Nor am I suggesting that the only difference is perspective. But the path I walk is not the path you walk and the place you know may as well be the dark side of the moon to me.
I suppose the simple truth of it is that everyone’s road less traveled is someone else’s road home.