Geek Alert

When I was in High School, friends and I conceptualized a category of identification for ourselves, well aware that if we did not define ourselves with a label - others would be liable to do so for us. After much debate, we settled upon the title "Techno Hippie Individualists"Recently sorting through boxes of photographs and mementos I came across my own laminated membership card. A practical joke given to me by a friend and fellow member so many years ago. Years later, it still resonated with me.. Looking back on circumstances, I believe that I must have had the greater influence on the naming decision. Unlike K & J, S & others - I am the only one who grew into her geekiness. I stand alone.

I was inspired by my high school Film classes & work experience program which placed me at the warehouse of set supplier William F. White. Oddly enough K & J were more successful at following their hearts into the tech sector - taking classes in stage production and film makeup while my feet led me elsewhere on a wildgoose chase; but we all lacked equally in the follow through. Time and circumstance, family and lifestyle choices defined each of our destinies more than a tiny piece of cardboard pressed between shrinkwrapped plastic.

I somehow doubt my fellow members remember this at all - but for me - the basic memories last yet. I still rememeber the call sign for CRAT radio, our high school station which J coerced me into helping to DJ with her during school lunch hours. A cassette player and a PA system accessed from the front office of the school.

In hindsight it would be hard to deny that that experiment in geekiness obviously related to my becoming devoted in future years to KSIM radio - the online radio station created in Interhogan to complement the gaming world of THE SIMS ONLINE. KSIM Rocked my world and it, along with TSO, allowed the opportunity for me to create friendships and circumstances for me that allowed my life to evolve further than it might have if the Tech side of life had not been so available to me. Although later renamed WOKI and then SLAK Radio as time progressed and the evolution of community gaming evolved past TSO & Star Wars Galaxies - KSIM is where it all began.

Years later I still pour my heart into the tech side of things. I get giddy at the geekiest events, an example of which is the new STAR TREK ONLINE game being created by a local company to me. When i close my eyes and imagine myself transported to another universe, cryptic studios is well on its way to creating one of my ideal destinations. Mauii and Disney are great vacation spots but theres nothing like the geekfest of a well crafted mmo. I might not quite fit the definition of your mothers hippie experience but the Techno and the Individualist are still in full control.